ZAGREB, Aug 12 (Hina) - The president of the Matrix of Pensioners of Croatia (MUH), Vladimir Lokmer, on Monday demanded that the government increase pensions solely in line with salary increases.
ZAGREB, Aug 12 (Hina) - The president of the Matrix of Pensioners of
Croatia (MUH), Vladimir Lokmer, on Monday demanded that the
government increase pensions solely in line with salary increases.
#L#
At a press conference, he estimated that the current legislative
formula, whereby pensions are increased each six months in line
with the costs of living and salary increases, was no longer
acceptable .
Lokmer warned that the announced increases in electricity and gas
prices would lead to an increase in all other prices. This, he said,
will be a blow to the pensioners' health and lives.
If the prices of electricity and gas increase on Sept. 1, the higher
bills will have to be paid at once, while pensioners, according to
the current model, will cash in the higher pensions only next
spring, said Lokmer.
The president of MUH said there were more than 750,000 pensioners
who receive on average 1,256 kuna (170 euros) a month with all the
additional allowances possible, including about 500,000 whose
average pension is 1.040 kuna (140 euros) per month.
As such, he wondered, how can this enormous number of pensioners
survive, when with all the price increases announced and which can
be expected, the cost of housing alone will soar to 80 percent of
these pensions.
(hina) sp ha