Government and ERC agree that women contribute 100% of their working hours when they reduce it for childcare

The pro-independence formation, like Bildu and PDeCAT, will vote in favor of the pension decree, which already has sufficient support

MADRID, 28 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Esquerra Republicana (ERC) has announced an agreement with the Government within the framework of the pension reform so that women who reduce their working hours to care for a child contribute 100% of their working hours prior to the reduction throughout the period of reduction.

The ERC deputy and spokesperson for the group's Labor, Jordi Salvador, made the announcement at a press conference in Congress, where he explained that this modification will foreseeably see the light of day in the pension reform.

As the Minister of Inclusion and Social Security, José Luis Escrivá, has guaranteed, this modification will be included either in the future processing of the decree as a bill or in the form of an additional provision in another regulation.

Within the framework of this agreement, Salvador has also pointed out that he has agreed with Minister Escrivá to increase the temporary disability pension due to the risk of pregnancy or during the lactation period for workers who also reduce their working hours. The ERC deputy has celebrated the agreement, which "is very important to combat the gender gap."

With all this, Salvador has advanced the favorable vote of his group to the validation of the decree and has thanked the "sincere dialogue" maintained with Escrivá. In addition, the Labor spokesman has extolled that in this reform the minister "has stood up" to the CEOE, which has not joined the reform.

On his side, the ERC deputy has highlighted some of the elements of the reform with which his formation agrees, such as the inclusion of a solidarity quota for the highest incomes, the 10% increase in the gender gap supplement and coverage of contribution gaps of up to 24 months.

"This agreement is thanks to the organizations of pensioners and unions, because otherwise the music was different", added Salvador, who took advantage of his speech to greet the "comrades" from France who are demonstrating these days in the neighboring country for the increase in the retirement age.

Bildu had also announced his vote in favor after reaching an agreement with the Government to progressively increase the minimum widow's pensions and equate them with the contributory retirement pensions in the next four years.

Specifically, the agreement consists of increasing widowhood pensions in 2024 from 40 euros per month for individual pensions, to 126 euros more per month for widowhood pensions with charges. In percentage terms, according to EH Bildu, it implies an increase of 17% for individual ones and 30% for charge ones. This is a progressive increase over four years, applying a higher increase in the first year, that is, in 2024.

And this Tuesday, the deputy of the PDeCAT Genís Boadella has also advanced his support for the decree law in view of the fact that it has the approval of the European Union and that it is a necessary condition to receive Next Generation funds, which in his opinion should be the priority. from the country.

On the contrary, the BNG deputy, Néstor Rego, has advanced in another press conference his vote against the decree law by consolidating that it consolidates the harmful aspects approved by the Popular Party and that it is also urgently processed, which in his opinion "steals the slow and calm debate"