The discussion about early retirement gained momentum again in Spain, after one of the country’s largest unions asked the Government to remove the penalties applied to workers exposed to high risk. The decision could influence Portugal, where the topic is beginning to emerge timidly, but with a direct impact on thousands of professionals.
The Spanish demands come from UGT-FICA, which represents workers in industry, construction and agriculture. The union opened a formal process to demand that certain professions be able to access early retirement without cuts, alleging “exceptionally painful, dangerous and unhealthy” conditions.
The request is based on a recent decree that allows access to a pension to be accelerated whenever there are proven health risks.
Silica exposure returns to the center of the debate
According to the trade union federation, cited by the Spanish portal Noticias Trabajo, professionals involved in cutting, polishing and transforming stone, especially those who work with artificial stone and materials rich in silica, face levels of risk that are much higher than desirable. Prolonged exposure to fine silica dust is officially recognized as carcinogenic and associated with serious silicosis.
The investigation cited by the union reveals that the incidence of this occupational disease has grown significantly over recent years. Between 1990 and 2023, half of the cases identified in Spain arose in this particular sector, a figure that has surprised occupational health experts.
A sector with worrying numbers
In stone cutting and finishing work, the data is even more significant: more than 90% of silicosis cases registered between 2020 and 2023 concern these professionals. This reality has been used as a central argument to justify access to early retirement without penalties.
At the same time, the union argues that there are real cases of prolonged disability, forced reforms and long respiratory treatments that prove the need to review the current system. These professionals, they emphasize, often end up leaving work prematurely due to health problems caused by the work environment itself.
Spain wants changes without delay
Based on this, and in accordance with , UGT-FICA asked the Spanish Ministry of Social Security to analyze the immediate feasibility of applying coefficients that reduce the legal retirement age in these activities. At issue is the right to a full pension, even when leaving the labor market occurs years before the usual age.
While the process is ongoing, the union reinforces that companies have a legal obligation to improve working conditions, but warns that, even with more modern dust extraction systems, the risk does not completely disappear.
And in Portugal?
Although the phenomenon is less talked about, Portugal has sectors with similar problems. Marble and granite professionals in Alentejo, quarry workers and some industries linked to ceramics and cement face risks associated with respirable silica.
Despite this, access to early retirement in our country remains quite restricted and, in most cases, subject to significant penalties. The exceptions only cover some very specific professions, and the list has not been significantly updated in recent years.
What could change in the future
If Spain moves forward with this measure, the debate could quickly cross the border. Portuguese sectors have already shown interest at other times, especially when cases of serious occupational illnesses associated with working with stone and ceramics emerged.
As the discussion gains visibility in the Iberian Peninsula, pressure is growing for Portugal to follow the trend and review the list of professions with access to early retirement. For many workers, this could be the difference between maintaining their health or prolonging their career to secure a full pension.
While awaiting Spanish decisions, Portuguese unions are watching carefully. If the change happens in the neighboring country, it is likely that a new wave of demands will emerge here, and the issue could quickly reach the political agenda.
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