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The hearing was organised by the S & D group in the Europan Parliament and was attended by leading stakeholders from political parties and other social partners. They all argued that the economic crisis cannot be used as an excuse to weaken the European pension systems.

UNI Europa's main points were:

• Service sector workers need equality in the pension system. Member States should be recommended to account for career breaks in the public pension schemes. Parental leave should for example not affect the pension benefits. Recommendations should be made to employers to also cover workers on short term contracts in their corporate pension schemes. Everybody should be able to build up an additional pension on equal terms, including the self employed.
• For our members it is crucial that the first tier public pension schemes really are the backbone of the system. Many workers will not be covered by a second tier arrangement and low wages prevent them from putting money aside in a private pension scheme. Pressure should not be put on the Member State to privatise the public pension schemes.
• UNI Europa would also like to see an improvement of working conditions and incentives to work longer for those who want instead of an increase of the retirement age. It makes no sense to increase the retirement age when companies at the same time are using their “old” workers as a variable to adjust their workforce. 

For mory information please contact Nina Johansson, UNI Europa policy officer.

Photo by Michael Contes.

UNI Europa presentation:

intervention S&D 22 october 2010 with logo.pdf