Dozens of organizations across Spain organized a demonstration in Madrid to protect state pensions. This action became one of the topics of the preliminary campaign before the November 29 elections.
The rally was initiated by the State Coordinator for the Defense of the State Pension System (COESPE). The main demands of the participants concerned measures aimed at preserving the purchasing power of pensioners and strengthening their protection.
At the march, the national representative of COESPE, Francisca Lopez, demanded that pensions be indexed based on the real Consumer Price Index (CPI). According to her, current increases do not compensate for the rising cost of living and the increasing price of goods.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), annual inflation in Spain in September was 4.9%. The coordinator pointed to the loss of purchasing power among pensioners due to the constant rise in prices. Representatives of pensioner platforms and movements stated that they have less purchasing power than in January (when inflation was 2.3%), and that for 51.3% of pensioners, pensions are not enough to last until the end of the month.
Various pensioner associations from all over Spain joined the call by COESPE, also demanding that the minimum pension be equated to the net interprofessional minimum wage (SMI), which is currently set at 1221 euros per month. They also insisted on replenishing the compensation payment for loss of purchasing power, which is paid at the end of each year.
Another central demand of the movement was the categorical rejection of any attempts to privatize the state pension system, due to 'constant and unbearable attempts at full or partial privatization' of pensions.
These demands are being made against the backdrop of the pre-election campaign before the legislative elections on November 29, when pensions have become a subject of political debate following statements by leaders of the PP and Vox parties regarding the future sustainability of the pension system in Spain.
Representatives of COESPE stated: 'Regardless of who governs, rights and state pensions are protected.' This phrase was heard among the demonstrators as they marched through the streets of Madrid between Atocha and Alcalá street.
Furthermore, the Association for Early Retirement Without Penalties (ASJUBI40) demanded the cancellation of reduction coefficients that penalize those who retire early after working 40 years or more. The vice-president and representative of the association, Santiago Menchero, is one of those affected by this situation, which, according to the organization, affects about 900,000 people in Spain.
In an interview with the EFE agency, he expressed indignation over the penalty affecting men and women who started working at an early age, some as young as 14, and accumulated over 40 years of service.
The Galician Movement for the Defense of Pensions and Public Services (MODEPEN) drew attention to the situation of women, who face a difference in average pension amounts of 29.4%, which is exacerbated by a system favorable to long and continuous careers.
According to the latest social security payment data for August, the average old-age pension was 1267.48 euros for women versus 1795.65 euros for men, representing a difference of 528.17 euros.
Political figures, including members of the left coalition Frente Amplio, also participated in the rally. Among the proposed measures, they advocated that no pension should be lower than the minimum wage (1221 euros), and that the retirement age should return to 65 years.
The average old-age pension reached 1576.1 euros per month in September, according to the latest social security data. The average pension across the entire system, including other benefits such as survival and permanent disability allowances, was 1374.6 euros.
Ada Colau, a candidate from Frente Amplio for the post of government president and head of the list in Barcelona, told journalists: 'If we raise the minimum wage because the cost of living continues to rise, and wages must continue to rise, it is logical that pensions will rise at the same rate as the minimum wage.'
In turn, Emilio Delgado from the Más Madrid party and head of the Frente Amplio list in Madrid for the November 29 elections stated that the state pension system is not only 'sustainable' but can also be 'improved.'
Demonstrators carried placards with slogans such as 'Decent Pensions,' 'Bread, Work, and Dignity,' and 'Defend Pensions.' The rally concluded on Alcalá street, near the Sevilla metro station, where pensioner associations expressed solidarity with other social movements fighting for public health and education, workers' rights in kindergartens, and access to decent housing. Afterwards, participants headed to Puerta del Sol to support people living in camps who demand the right to decent housing.