- Title: ROMANIA: Military retirees protest against planned pension cuts
- Date: 26th January 2011
- Summary: GROUP OF MILITARY PENSIONERS PLAYING FUNERAL MARCH MILITARY PENSIONER WEARING MASK (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) MILITARY PENSIONER, REMUS MACOVEI, SAYING: "We made a decisive contribution for Romania's NATO entrance. We are asking for respect." VARIOUS OF MILITARY PENSIONERS PROTESTING WOMAN ON BALCONY SALUTING PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Romanian) MILITARY PENSIONER, GRIGORE DOMINTE, SAYING: "I survived the Dachau and Erfurt concentration camps, but I cannot survive in Romania. I'm ill, I take insulin three times a day, a have heart problems and I don't have money." MILITARY PENSIONERS DEMONSTRATING
- Embargoed: 10th February 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Romania, Romania
- Country: Romania
- Topics: Domestic Politics,Social Services / Welfare
- Reuters ID: LVA5UZ2XR24K4ME294DE5H64J4AI
- Story Text: Military retirees in Romania protest pension cuts even as country's High Court rules that the government pension proposals be suspended.
Several thousand Romanian military pensioners took to the street on Romania's unification day on Monday (January 24) to demonstrate against planned government pension cuts.
Military retirees said their pensions had been reduced by up to 60 percent, after being recalculated.
"When I saw what my pension was for January 2011, I thought I would faint. It was reduced from 1904 lei (447 euro) to 1605 lei (376 euro). I've been in military service for 33 years, 6 months and 3 days," military pensioner, Ion Livadaru said,
"I survived the Dachau and Erfurt concentration camps, but I cannot survive in Romania. I'm ill, I take insulin three times a day, a have heart problems and I don't have money," pensioner Grigore Dominte added.
On January 7, Romania's High Court of Justice ruled against the government's proposed recalculations on the pensions of military personnel, police and public servants with specials status.
The financial department of the Defence Ministry said the court's ruling to suspend the Government's pension proposals would be taken into account only regarding those pensioners who individually challenge the decision.
Romania has about 170,000 military and police pensioners. Only 30,000 military pensions and less then 1,000 police pensions have been recalculated till now. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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