Aleesha Hansel
PENSIONERS in their thousands have taken to the streets of Spain to demand decent pensions.
Demonstrating across Spain to ask the government to guarantee pensions for present and future generations, one group in Madrid managed to break through a police cordon and block access to Spanish Parliament.
Protesters in 40 cities and towns including Barcelona, Seville and Bilbao held placards stating that this year’s 0.25% pension increase was ‘miserable’ and not enough to keep up with inflation.
The OAPs were heard chanting “We are pensioners, not terrorists”.
Spain’s biggest workers’ union, which was involved in organising the protests, have petitioned parliament to stop blocking changes to pension laws.
Previously the Spanish government has stated that increasing pensions at the current rate is unsustainable due to the ageing population and fewer workers contributing to the national social security fund.
Workers’ General Union leader Mari Carmen Barrera has demanded the Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy should explain why pensions have increase by 0.25% while the Spanish economy has grown at 3%.
