Spain hit by HUGE protests: Thousands of retirees take to streets over pensions fears…(World Wide!)
THOUSANDS of OAPs have been marching in Spain to demand “decent pensions” – even cutting access to the Spanish Parliament in Madrid and stopping traffic from passing.
By LAURA MOWAT
Express.co.uk
Thu, Feb 22, 2018
The angry demonstrators managed to break the police cordon of the Congress building in Madrid to take their demonstration to the doors of the government building.
The retirees are demonstrating across Spain, calling for higher pensions and demanding authorities ensure funding for social security.
Protesters have been holding signs calling the 0.25 per cent increase in pensions this year “miserable” and saying it is not enough to keep up with inflation.
The pensioners have taken their fight to the main squares of 40 cities and towns across the country, including Bilbao, Barcelona, Seville and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
In Bilbao, thousands of pensioners surrounded the town hall shouting: “We are pensioners, not terrorists”.
They have also been shouting in desperation: “What a shame, what a shame! They steal from us!”
And, they have yelled: “We are pensioners, not terrorists!”
Organisers of the protests, which includes the biggest workers’ unions in Spain, petitioned parliament to call on political parties to stop blocking changes to the laws on pensions.
The government does not believe that the pensions payouts in Spain are sustainable with the ageing population and fewer workers contributing to the national social security fund.
The protest organisations are demanding the prime minister’s government to guarantee pensions for present and future generations.
During a protest in Madrid, Workers’ General Union leader Mari Carmen Barrera said Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy should explain why the Spanish economy is growing three percent while pensions are only growing 0.25 percent.
The Rest…HERE
