Spilling retirees unions: "These mobilizations have no control"

Many manifestations of pensioners espontánemente indignation arise with the government. The unions say the protests will continue despite the improvement Rajoy announced.

JAVIER G. JORRÍN

The  social protest movement  being carried out by  retirees  is unparalleled in the recent history of Spain. Their protests have even surpassed the 15-M in terms of  relevance and spread  throughout the Spanish geography. If they did not have enough strength in the street, now  it has also joined the feminist movement of the commission of 8-M, which portends a spring mobilizations. The intervention of the Prime Minister,  Mariano Rajoy , in the  debate on the future of pensions , held on Wednesday in Congress,  only served to piss off more retirees that threaten to keep taking the road all spring.

Pensioners gear up for large rally

The level of mobilization of the biggest is such that it has even spilled over into unions. Many protests  arise spontaneously outside the unions, which are restricted to support and join forces. "It 's very difficult to mobilize people, but now are  looking forward to taking the street , " says  Mari Carmen Barrera , Secretary of Social Policy, Employment and Social Security of  UGT , "do not even have control, because it is so spontaneous that mobilizations constantly arise. "

Rajoy wants to raise froze pensions and other lies the debate in Congress

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misleading data, inclumplidas old promises and even some underused truth verified speeches by political representatives during plenary

This time, it 's not that unions have to 'warm up ' the streets, but simply respond to the  high demand for demonstrations  and rallies there. " People ask us to move , want to show their  outrage at the government 's policies , " says Barrera. For example, protests erupted Thursday in Cantabria and Catalonia unions subsequently seconded.

[ Data to avoid getting lost in the debate on the future of pensions ]

On Saturday there are more than  a hundred demonstrations  in major cities across the country to demand "decent pensions, revaluation under the IPC and the defense of the public pension system." "The economy is growing at 3%, inflation exceeds 1.1% and pensions up only 0.25%" reports  CCOO .

We do not even have control over the protests, because they are so spontaneous demonstrations that arise constantly

Rajoy's promise to raise the minimum pension and the widow has not calmed things down. In any case,  the discomfort is even greater , since retirees were confident that the government give up backtrack and accept benefits to the CPI. "I predict a few  months many protests  on the street , " says Barrera, "and if good weather comes."

A dangerous strategy

Rajoy has decided  to use pensions as a 'bait ' for the opposition will approve the  General State Budget  (PGE). A choice that is in line with what the government has done this term (also used the salary of officials and the minimum wage for agreements) but that means  ignoring social dialogue .

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To improve the delivery retirees need to raise more, but Spanish workers never paid so many taxes as now

Unions feel  slighted  by the government, more than a year that does not call the Bureau of Pensions to negotiate ago. The last meeting was in November, but at that time there was no negotiation on pensions simply the ministry informed the unions of the royal decree prepared to  raise pensions for widows . A royal decree has now paralyzed to pressure the opposition and approve their budgets. Neither the announcement of a reduction of income tax to the elderly is something new, as finance minister,  Cristobal Montoro , had  repeated on two occasions. All this suggests the unions that the government is playing the trileros with offers that are only intended unlock the PGE.

[ Rajoy presses opposition to a decree raises the widow 15% ]

For unions, negotiations on the future of pensions should be done in the Toledo Pact and the Bureau of Pensions. But Rajoy announced that  the two institutions would jump  to agree improved lower benefits in the budget negotiations. In fact, the president 's announcement surprised the unions, who did not have the slightest news, which has ignited tempers more.

Rajoy has decided to skip the Toledo Pact and social dialogue to negotiate an improvement of pensions in the budget

Rajoy did not give figures on the increase in minimum pensions and widows, preferring to leave the details for negotiation with its 'partners Budgets'. Moncloa has decided  to leave the social partners outside  of these negotiations, so they do not know what the rise will propose the Government nor whether there will be improved if budgets are not approved or who will finance the rise (PGE or  Social Security ).

[ Rajoy keep the pension adjustment 0.5% in 2019 ]

This strategy could serve to draw Government accounts 2018, but will not be useful to calm the protests of retirees. The unions will continue with its strategy of mobilizations to  break the Executive or at least to recover their role in social dialogue. For this reason, they will not be satisfied with the announcement of Rajoy and demand 'most': recover the IPC,  repeal the 2013 reform  and ensure the purchasing power of all pensioners in a new pension law born of the agreement in the Covenant Toledo and the Board of Pensions. "We are in line to get our demands, but the government should have a little more consideration to what you are asking for the street", says Barrera.