We retirees have begun to outright reject the policies of Javier Milei’s government from the moment he took office. No wonder. The level of inhumanity of these bootlicking stooges of the US and Israel in geopolitics and economic power, as their employees, knows no bounds.

Every day that passes, we learn of a new betrayal of the Argentine people, and particularly of the working people. Therefore, it is extremely important and auspicious to see how, week after week, our call to protest before Congress is growing, not only with more retirees but also with new sectors punished by the government and its “dialoguing” allies.

This Wednesday, June 4th, we will be surrounded by workers from the Garraham Hospital, families of people with disabilities, especially children, researchers from Conicet (National Council of Workers), migrants, representatives of indigenous peoples, those laid off by the state and private sectors, and, above all, the Ni Una Menos collective.

It has been mentioned a lot lately, starting with the series El Eternauta (The Eternalist), but it is a slogan that, for us, comes from the depths of history:

“No one is saved alone.”

For this reason, we call for a united, broad front of workers that will halt and destroy all the reactionary policies pursued by this government, with the miserable complicity of the so-called “dialogue-oriented” opposition, and, in turn, build the political tool defined and led by the working class that will build the new, just, and democratic society we dream of.

The post ARGENTINA: Wednesday Retiree Update first appeared on Labor Today.

Instrumental in this task were certain officials who set the guidelines for economic and social policies. One of them was José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz, who, as Minister of Economy, defined and implemented policies harmful to working people. Another was Domingo Felipe Cavallo, former president of the Central Bank during the last dictatorship, among other positions he held before and after, and who, as Minister of Economy under Menem, created the AFJP (Financial Pension Funds). All of the above is relevant because they are two figures admired by President Javier Milei, who, from their positions of public office, only brought misery and pain to the people.

We, the Coordinating Board of Retiree and Pensioner Organizations, point this out because the Pension System in Argentina is just beginning to be debated, which requires us retirees to make the greatest efforts to disseminate our proposal. It consists, in essence, of a public, supportive, pay-as-you-go, intergenerational, assisted system, led and administered by active workers and retirees, with the participation of the State, as the National Constitution states, it is the guarantor of social security.
It is important to emphasize that any pension system is closely related to the current labor system. You cannot expect the best retirement system with job insecurity and informality, miserable wages, the absence of employer contributions, and a negligent State.

The slogan remains the same: “We are all retirees, it’s just a matter of time.” We call on the working people to join our struggle through unions and central organizations, as well as social, cultural, student, and political organizations within a broad framework of unity.

The post ARGENTINA: Wednesday Retiree Update first appeared on Labor Today.

For decades, PAMI has been under intervention, rendering it no longer the public agency in whose direction and administration workers should participate. Quite the contrary, it is run by officials of the current government. As if that weren’t enough, several cases have been reported in different parts of the country recently, evidencing the political misuse of PAMI and the use of its resources to settle internal disputes. The concern or obligation of these bureaucrats, paid with members’ money, to address their pressing needs is far from obvious.

For this reason, on the occasion of the new anniversary of the creation of PAMI, we, the National Coordinating Board of Retiree and Pensioner Organizations, demand:

– The immediate implementation of all benefits without restrictions;

– Establish free access to all medications, including those recently classified as over-the-counter for the benefit of pharmaceutical companies and to the detriment of workers;

– Stop the intervention! Normalize PAMI NOW! Active and retired workers must participate in its management and administration.

The post ARGENTINA: Wednesday Retiree Update first appeared on Labor Today.

The National Central Union of Retired and Pensioners of Peru – CENAJUPE considers an immoral proposal to be repudiable in a situation of unbearable crisis, economic, political and social that the country is experiencing given corruption from the heights of the public authorities and in the midst of the misdeeds of organized crime and citizen insecurity, such as the case of the mining workers of Pataz and other construction workers, transport, traders and entrepreneurs.

If this situation occurred, it would mean, taking as an example the DL 19990 pensioners, that this salary and at the same time life pension, would be the amount of 60 regular retirees with minimum pension (S/. 600.00) more than 40 retirees with maximum pension (S/. 893.00) Taking into account that there are lower-income pensioners such as proportional pensions, fishermen and other social security schemes, whose tip pensions are barely used to pay for services such as water, electricity, gas, transport and communications without access to food and a decent life.

CENAJUPE will present its petition for complaints and already demands the negotiating space and find a solution to the demands of those who gave their working lives in the service of the homeland.

The post PERU: Crime and Corruption Sink the Country first appeared on Labor Today.

The objective of unification and the mobilization of active workers, retirees and pensioners, both in the public and private sectors, is the demand for a general increase in wages and pensions. It is the requirement that article 91 of the Constitution be complied with, said the trade unionist at a press conference.

In this sense, the spokesman explained that the demand is to stop the process of destroying wages and labor rights that this government is applying with its neo-liberal criminal policy, which is why he called on all sectors of the country to join the march called by the public sector and by the employees of private companies.

Will the united workers defeat the anti-worker and anti-popular policy of the authoritarian and legitimate government, which is condemning the Venezuelan working people to hunger and misery. Together we will win with powerful mobilizations this May 1, he detailed.

He reiterated that in Caracas this day of mobilization will take place in a rally and a march that will depart from Plaza Venezuela to Parque Carabobo in front of the headquarters of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. That day in May 1 from 9 a.m. to go out in combative unitary and class mobilization.

Originally published in Contrapunto.

The post VENEZUELA: Active and Retired Workers to Hold a March from Plaza Venezuela to the Public Prosecutor’s Office this May 1st first appeared on Labor Today.

With the participation of 352 representatives representing 99 member associations and thousands of pensioners throughout the country, the three-day work of the 24th Congress of the IKA Pensioners Federation began today in Athens.

The Congress concludes the three-year cycle full of rich action of the pension movement, for the assertion of the just demands of pensioners based on their real needs.

The hundreds of representatives were even welcomed in a very warm atmosphere by the choir of PAME with an artistic program dedicated to their rich action.

George Perros addressed the work on behalf of the PAME Secretariat.

In the presentation presented on behalf of the outgoing administration of the Federation by its president, Municipality of Koumbouris, presented all-round the conditions in which the 2.5 million pensioners in our country survive. Conditions shaped by the anti-insurance laws of all governments since 2010 still, the consequences of the pandemic, but also the wave of precision that in the last three years consumes the most decaden pensions.

Making a brief review of the content of this attack, the suggestion noted: “Here is the deadly legislative provision that abolished the minimum pension and divided it into national and rewarding, the endless cuts in pensionable earnings, the cuts of our Gifts, EKAS, widow’s pensions, the increase in health reservations by 6% – even in the dead – the increase in our participation. The non-payment of the retrospectives of the 11-month 2015 – 2016, of the auxiliary and Gifts. The “personal dispute” of the Katrougalos law maintained by the current government, despite its declarations for its abolition. The grabbing of tens of billions from the insurance funds for the recapitalization of the banks. The debts of the large business groups to the insurance funds. Cuts in our pensions through precision, which breaks our income.”

In addition, it was stressed: “Any penniless “increasations” given by the government at the end of its previous term after thirteen years, is well below the rise in inflation and were not attributed to those pensioners who had a “personal difference”. No increase in supplementary pensions has ever been granted. For those of the pensioners who, the sum of their pensions passed some accounting limits, a solidarity contribution AKAGE AKAGEI has a solidarity contribution. The same is for the pensions that went through the tax limits.”

Faced with this situation that is getting worse every day, pensioners are preparing to give a militant response with the nationwide rally on November 22, rejecting the government propaganda which, as it was said, attempts “to fill our wallets with a slurry air, with lies and half-truths”. They made it clear that the Federation and the pension movement that is rallying in the framework of the Struggle Coordinague Committee, will continue to claim all that has been forcing them has been taken away and paid for them throughout their lives.

The post GREECE: Rich Three-Year Action, Power for New Struggles and Claims at 24th Pensioners Congress first appeared on Labor Today.