A PIL to end pensioner poverty
The preamble to the current Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands states that "to advance toward a modern society, it is essential to deepen and continue to invest in the values of social cohesion, peace and justice, sustainable development, territorial protection, and equal rights, especially equality between men and women." Fine words that, unfortunately, all too often become rhetoric if organized civil society, long-standing and new-generation social movements—in short, if social countervailing powers, in a stance of resistance, do not act to confront democratizing setbacks and, with a proactive attitude, do not offer everyday alternatives to social justice.
Once again, contradicting the system's dynamic of obscuring areas of poverty and injustice, organized citizens shed light on the darkness of a poverty blind spot while articulating a proposed solution. In this case, it was the Balearic Coordinator for the Defense of Public Pensions (which brings together pensioner entities and groups, unions from all the Balearic and Pitiusas Islands, the Palma neighborhood movement, among others), who, through the presentation of a Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP), has introduced into our debate 01-01-2025, in the Balearic Islands a total of 126,138 contributory pensions for permanent disability, retirement and widowhood (62% of the total) have a value less than €1,184/month, that is, an amount lower than the Interprofessional Minimum Wage (SMI)8 for 12 Non-contributory Pensions, which brings the total number of pensions with an amount below the SMI to 134,310.
Now, this figure refers to pensions, not pensioners. To assess as rigorously as possible the true, and until now invisible, poverty gap among pensioners, the Promoting Committee of the aforementioned ILP has calculated that more than 134,000 pensions below the minimum wage must be subtracted from these pensions. These pensions correspond to people who should not be considered (according to the minimum wages for pensions) in need and/or exceed modest income and assets, and to people who are recipients of double pensions, the sum of which exceeds the minimum wage. Based on these calculations, an uncomfortable reality emerges: In the Balearic Islands, there are around 94,000 pensioners—the vast majority of them women—who eke out a living in poverty. A situation that makes them dependent on family members or charity, and therefore denies them the guarantee of true freedom to continue living the life they love.
It is therefore necessary to denounce this situation and, beyond the real discomfort of this injustice, offer a realistic, feasible, and quickly implemented alternative. This is what the ILP, which we promoters have called "for the right of older people to a dignified life," is all about. Truly, one cannot have a dignified life without personally having the material conditions to live it.
The aforementioned ILP, already registered in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands, is specified in the creation of the Balearic System of Supplement for Public Pensions of an amount lower than the SMI, otherwise, every person entitled to a public pension –except, for obvious reasons, those for orphanhood and for family members– of an amount lower than the SMI and who meets other income...) receives a regional social supplement up to the SMI.
It's worth noting that equating minimum pensions with the minimum wage is not, on the contrary, a whim. Equalization with the minimum wage, while modest, moves in the direction of a decent minimum pension. In this regard, it's worth remembering that in the ILO and World Economic Forum research on equity, diversity, and inclusion, there is no controversy about the fact that minimum interprofessional wages are necessary, though not sufficient, minimums for a decent life.
One of the documents registered with the Parliament's Bureau states that "the Promoting Committee [of the ILP] considers that, in the terms proposed in the text of this Popular Legislative Initiative, the cost of creating the Balearic System to Supplement Public Pensions is less than the minimum interprofessional wage." Furthermore, we believe it is an essential investment for reasons of social justice, to correct the great social injustice of poverty pensions. In short, there are more than enough reasons to approve the proposed ILP."