Parliamentary committee approves pension reforms

A series of pension reforms have been approved by the parliamentary committee for social affairs. The changes to the law, which still have to be voted on in parliament, include the scrapping of the provision that civil servants could include study years in calculating their retirement age.

The new law also scraps the income ceiling for people who continue to work after they reach the retirement age of 65 (or who have worked for 45 years). This effectively means that income earned during retirement does not affect the amount of social security received.

Opposition parties criticised the new measures as amounting to “longer work for less money”. But the objections were rejected by federal pensions minister Daniel Bacquelaine. The government still has to push through controversial legislation that will scrap the annual inflation-based wage rise for this year.

The socialist trade union for public service workers has called a strike on 22 April in protest at government policies, including changes to the pension law. But the government insists the changes are essential to balance the welfare budget.

Protests are scheduled in Brussels, meanwhile, this coming Monday, 30 March, against government cuts. Workers for Brussels transport authority MIVB are taking part, and transport in the capital is expected to suffer delays.

photo: Federal pensions minister Daniel Bacquelaine

©Courtesy danielbacquelaine.be