Escrivá: “The problem with the PP is that it does not say what it wants to do with pensions”
JAEN, 30 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations, José Luis Escrivá, has expressed his satisfaction with “the comfortable majority” that has supported the pension reform law decree in Congress, because it reflects “the enormous consensus that has being built” on this issue, although he said he felt “very much” the vote against the PP. In this sense, he has pointed out that “the problem with the Popular Party is that it does not explain or say what it wants to do with pensions.”
Escrivá, who has visited the Jaén City Council, where he has met with social groups, has said, when asked by journalists, that the Popular Party “does not have a constructive position” on the issue of pension reform. “We are very sorry and everyone will have to explain themselves,” he said, referring to the vote against the PP.
He has indicated that the PP supported the recommendations of the Toledo Pact that were approved in November 2020 by an “overwhelming majority” in Congress, “with only two votes against”, but “when the time has come for those recommendations to be in specific rules, it has been unmarked and in four of the five rules it has voted no”.
At this point, he referred to the PP vote against “the formula for the mechanism to maintain the purchasing power of pensions, to reduce the gender gap in women’s pensions, to collective employment plans, and now “he has voted no to the closure of the reform.
“This reform is well worked on and will have the endorsement of the European authorities when it has to be validated, with all certainty and (the PP) has made it difficult for us to negotiate with Brussels”, the minister pointed out.
Regarding the aspect of the reform of which he feels most proud, it is “the considerable effort that is made to reduce the gender gap in pensions”, since “unfortunately women have a significantly lower average pension than that of men and the fundamental reason is that when they had children they had a kind of traction in the labor market, they stopped working or worked half-gas”, to which is added those who have had to dedicate themselves to caring for relatives.
He explained that the reduction of the gender gap in pensions will be achieved with two fundamental mechanisms: those people who, after having children, have a significant reduction in their Social Security contribution, are entitled to a supplement that is now located at 34 euros per month and per child. In addition, the treatment of the gaps in the contributions, “we are going to fill them with social contributions and it extends to a period of up to 84 months”.
In addition, for minimum pensions and non-contributory minimums “we provide a revaluation framework beyond the CPI, so that in four years they will rise more than the CPI, which is “very important to make the system more supportive and equitable” .
