The government’s timetable for pension reform has been pushed back once again. The revised bill on the social security fund was not submitted yesterday, despite the minister’s assurances last Thursday.
And while the social partners were expecting the bill with the changes yesterday, the minister made remarks at the Charity Dinner hosted by the Kaimakli Community Volunteer Council in Nicosia.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Pensions: Why some receive €256 and others just €2
“No pension will be reduced; the reform brings increases to all pensions, with the greatest support going to low-income pensioners, and it substantially mitigates the actuarial reduction for those who were forced to retire early.”
Marinos Mousiouttas – Minister of Labor
Of course, unless the provisions promised by the minister are implemented, there remains, according to the unions, the possibility that future retirees will receive a lower pension than they would under the current system.
“For the first time, years spent outside of paid employment—such as raising children, caring for a loved one, or periods of disability—are being counted toward the pension. This is how, at long last, the gap between men’s and women’s pensions is beginning to close—a gap that arises during the years when a mother chooses, or is forced, to stay close to her child.”
Marinos Mousiouttas – Minister of Labor
Pension Funds
The discussion on pension funds will be concluded in about 10 days by the Technical Committee and will then be forwarded to the Labor Advisory Body. It is now up to the government to clarify its intentions regarding these funds, given that the unions are calling for mandatory implementation and employers are opposed.
Watch the report by Kleio Vourkou:
