Parliament approves the popular legislative initiative to improve the lowest pensions in the Balearic Islands.
The promoters will have to gather at least 7,500 signatures to be able to advance the process now that the board has given the green light to the initiative.
PalmThe Parliament of the Balearic Islands has approved the popular legislative initiative promoted by the Balearic Coordinator for the Defense of Public Pensions, which aims to ensure pensioners a minimum income equivalent to the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI), currently set at €1,184 per month in 14 installments.
The proposal was registered on September 10th with the argument of promoting a supplement for the lowest pensions, in order to ensure that pensioners in the Islands can cope with the enormous increase in the cost of living that is occurring in the Balearic Islands. This formula, if approved by Parliament, would entail the creation of a regional supplement for those public pensions—contributory and non-contributory—that fall below the SMI, provided that the beneficiaries do not have other income or assets that exceed it. The goal, according to the promoters, is to eradicate poverty pensions and ensure decent living conditions for the elderly.
According to data from the Coordinator, there are more than 219,000 registered pensions in the Canary Islands, more than half of which do not reach the minimum wage. The group also warns that women are the most affected by this situation, due to the wage and employment inequalities accumulated throughout their working lives.
The ILP has already been validated by the Chamber's lawyers and admitted for processing by the Parliament's Bureau. The initiative will now be published in the Parliament's bulletin and will be specifically forwarded to the Government, which must state its position, especially given the economic consequences of the law if it is approved.
However, the promoters must obtain a minimum of 7,500 signatures from people over the age of 16 and registered residents of the Balearic Islands from the moment the initiative is admitted for processing for it to continue its parliamentary process. Finally, the parliamentary groups will be the ones to express their opinion on the issue. So far, in the history of the regional chamber, only one ILP has been approved: the one promoted by the GOB (Government of Catalonia) to improve the environment for future generations.
