Press Interpreter

09/26/06 -- The Government increased the monthly bonus to be given to the workers that chose to keep working after completed 40 years of deductions, according to the agreement proposal about the Social Security reform, to which Lusa* had access.

This matter has raised big criticism, specially from UGT**, who considered that the long deductive rows were being penalized when they should be beneficiary, having in account that people have already worked more than 40 years.

"The Government is imputing the age antecipation costs before 65 years old, but people have already deducted 40 years, so that the costs must be assumed by Social Security", explained at the time the UGT Executive Secretary, Joao Proenca.

At the end of the last meeting in the social agreement head office, on September the 5th, Social Solidarity and Work Minister, Vieira da Silva, admitted that "there is some work that can still be done".

For the payees with more than 65 years old, the Executive maintains the proposal and determines a monthly bonus of 0,33 percent in case of having between 15 and 24 years of deductions, 0,5 percent between 25 and 34 years of deductions, 0,65 percent between 35 and 39 years of deductions, and 1 percent with more than 40 years of career.

*News Agency

**União Geral dos Trabalhadores
(General Working Union)

Correio da Manhã, Portugal

By Miguel Ganhão

--Translated by Lusitania

Go to Original Article:

http://www.correiodamanha.pt/noticia.asp?id=215889&idselect=11&idCanal=11&p=200