ENDISY recalled that the 13th pension was voted for in 2019 but removed after the current prime minister took office in 2020. The union said that abolition cost pensioners roughly €1.1 billion a year and around €6.6 billion across six years. By contrast, it said, the government’s payment represents roughly €350 million in total and does not make up for the long-term loss.
The union described the economic pressures faced by retirees, rising food and energy bills and mounting medicine costs, and said the €250 measure would not provide meaningful relief. ENDISY demanded the immediate reinstatement of the 13th and 14th pensions in full and the return of EKAS, the minimum social solidarity allowance for pensioners, arguing these steps would provide steady support throughout the year rather than one-off handouts.
‘Pensioners are not beggars,’ the statement said. ‘They are not asking for pocket money. They want their lives and their dignity back.’
ENDISY warned the payment risked dividing pensioners and called on the government to adopt policies that secure long-term income for all retirees rather than temporary concessions.
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