The Ministry of Social Security and the UGT and Workers' Commissions trade unions reached an agreement in principle this Monday to reform the ministerial decision that allows researchers to recover up to five years for the calculation of the pension for researchers and students awarded scholarships in the past got. The agreement tries to satisfy the possible beneficiaries of the measure, after an initial draft stirred the spirits of the groupsby demanding the payment of 290 euros for each month they wanted to get back.
In a joint statement, the trade union organizations point out that the ministry is “committed” to amending the ministerial decision, which comes into effect on June 1, and therefore ask interested parties to wait “where possible” before applying for it until the processing of the new regulation has been formalized.” A process that they emphasize that the Executive has guaranteed will take place “within the shortest possible time” and “the processing of which will begin this week.”
The Social Security points out that it “has responded to the requests of the social partners”, who regretted that the first proposal was published in the Government Gazette without the cooperation of the trade unions or employers. In concrete terms, one of the main corrections of the department headed by Elma Saiz is that it will take as the contribution base for the special agreement the minimum base corresponding to the year in which the activity was carried out, instead of 2024. This goes from 40 euros per month in 1980 to 140 euros in 2006..
It is not the only request that is answered. The ministry will allow five years of activity to be restored, regardless of whether the beneficiaries took advantage of the special agreement that allowed them to restore another two years in 2011. In addition, people who need it will be given four and a half years to restore their activities. until December 31, 2028. , to request the quote for the period and will have the option to split the payment to double the repayment period with a maximum of seven years.
“The improvements in the standard promoted by CCOO and UGT guarantee the reduction of the costs of the agreement, while maintaining the current legal character and the strictly contributory nature of the amount. In the same way, the extension of the time periods from which contributions can be recovered is sought, to help complete the contribution careers of people who, over long periods of time, have developed various situations related to training practices and research grants,” the unions celebrate.
In addition, according to the same sources, the Ministry would have committed to “soon” establish the Observatory for the monitoring and evaluation of the approved measures regarding contributions for non-labour practices, within the framework of the 2023 social security reform contribution for interns on unpaid internships from January 1from which more than half a million students have already benefited.