Trade unions demand the president to veto changes to pension legislation

Yesterday, representatives of independent trade unions picketed the presidential administration with a demand to veto the law on pension reform adopted by parliament on July 7. Activists oppose raising the retirement age for women to 60 and increasing the length of service required to receive a pension. In their opinion, the size of pension payments will be reduced by inflation. ALEXANDER ZVORSKY watched the protests.

At 17.30, representatives of independent trade unions gathered on Institutskaya Street and headed in a column to Bankovaya Street, to the building of the Presidential Administration (AP). The picket was mainly attended by students and employees of capital enterprises. Chanting “Robota! Salary! Wetuvati reform!”, they carried red and black flags and banners with slogans against pension reform: “Hail us EdnaE fight, not violence and ruin,” “Beggar pensioners are a disgrace to the country,” “Don’t put the bolt down.” veto!"

Let us remind you that on July 7, late in the evening, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill on reforming the pension system as a whole, rejecting almost all the amendments received after the first reading. Deputies rejected proposals without even delving into their essence, including those submitted by representatives of the majority. Thus, the parliament approved the pension reform as amended by the government of Mykola Azarov. If the president signs the law, it will go into effect on September 1. According to the document, women will have their retirement age increased from 55 to 60 years and their work experience from 20 to 25 years, and men will have their work experience increased from 25 to 30 years. The maximum pension for disabled persons will be 10 subsistence minimums, and the maximum working age for officials will be 62 years (see Kommersant of July 8).

The road to the AP for the protesters was blocked by a police cordon. Stopping at the fence, the activists began a rally. The atmosphere was supported by revolutionary songs of the 1920s and 30s, loudly sounded from the speakers. Representatives of independent trade unions accused all deputies of the Verkhovna Rada without exception: members of the parliamentary majority of representing the interests of the oligarchs, and the opposition of insufficient resistance to the adoption of the pension reform.

— Oppositionists come out to show off to the people on political talk shows, but ordinary people no longer have time to get information about politics from TV shows, because they are forced to think only about survival. This worries workers with starvation wages, students with meager scholarships,” said Andrei Movchan, an activist in the student trade union “Pryama Diya”.

The claims of trade union activists to the pension reform were formulated by the chairman of the trade union of employees of the National Academy of Sciences, Anatoly Shirokov.

— For all citizens, the length of service required to receive pensions will increase, and the retirement age will increase! And pensions will be eaten up by inflation! Previously, their size was determined based on the average salary of an employee for the previous year, and now - for the last three years,” said Mr. Shirokov.

The picketers supported his words with cheers. An hour later, the protesters began to disperse. Let us note that the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU), which did not participate in yesterday’s rally, supported independent trade unions and demanded that the head of state veto the law on pension reform. “The Presidium of the FPU sent an appeal to the president on July 15. If Viktor Yanukovych nevertheless signs this law, we are ready to lead any actions of workers to protect their rights,” Deputy Chairman of the FPU Grigory Osovy told Kommersant yesterday. He added that the primary organizations of the FPU are now preparing appeals to the presidential administration with a demand to veto the pension reform. Representatives of the parliamentary opposition also noted the need to veto the pension reform. “This law uses shock methods without pragmatic content. Obviously, the pension reform was adopted not to please the people of Ukraine, but at the request of the IMF,” Valery Sushkevich, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Pensioners, Veterans and Disabled Persons (BYuT-Batkivshchyna) told Kommersant. ).

The reform has become unsuitable