The theme of the age of reform in Portugal returns to the center of political discussion with the proposal presented by the PCP. The party defends the return of legal age at age 65 and the end of penalties applied to thousands of workers who, after decades of discounts for social security, see their pensions reduced. The initiative aims to ensure greater social justice and a decent post-work life for all.
The proposal arises in response to a problem that affects above all who is forced to leave the job market before the legal age. Prolonged unemployment requires many to request early reform, which results in cuts that even exceed 50%.
For the PCP, it is a double injustice: workers who have not chosen to renovate earlier end up penalized severely.
Early renovation without cuts
Among the central points of the project is the elimination of reductions in pensions of those who reform before legal age for reasons beyond their will, according to the Ekonomist Economics Site. The goal is to prevent workers from being punished twice, first for unemployment and then for the loss of income in the reform.
Another target is the sustainability factor, a mechanism that adds additional cuts to early reforms. According to Luís Mesquita, leader of the PCP, quoted by the same source, this formula “ignores the real conditions of life” and contributes to aggravate social exclusion in old age.
Return to 65
The PCP proposal includes replacement of the age of 65 years, instead of the 66 years and seven months that came to be in force this year. The party argues that the automatic increase in age, based on life expectancy, does not reflect the labor reality of many Portuguese, who reach the end of their physical and emotionally worn career.
For communists, living more years should not mean prolonging active life at the expense of less rest time. They argue that the contribution of a lifetime of work must be respected, ensuring citizens a more worthy old age.
Valorization of minimum pensions
Another axis of the proposal, according to the same source, is the appreciation of the minimum pensions. The PCP defends the reformulation of social security levels, with the creation of two new levels and the update of the fourth level. The measure aims to benefit workers with long contributory careers that eventually have reduced reforms.
With this reinforcement, the party wants to ensure that the minimum income is above the threshold of poverty. This is a measure with strong social impact, especially for those who contributed 30, 40 or more years without seeing this effort properly recognized.
Social Justice in Old Age
The PCP proposal undermines the current model of progressive increase in the age of the reform, which considers unsustainable and unfair. For the party, according to the system, the system should be based on the principle of distributive justice, valuing the contributory effort of each worker and fighting historical inequalities.
With this package of measures, the communists claim to want to restore confidence in the public pension system, returning dignity to current and future retired in Portugal.
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