Proposition 53K3377

Projet de loi modifiant l'arrêté royal n° 50 du 24 octobre 1967 relatif à la pension de retraite et de survie des travailleurs salariés.

General information ¶

Submitted by

PS | SP the Di Rupo government

Submission date

Feb. 17, 2014

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

pension scheme social security survivor's benefit white-collar worker

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP ∉ Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB

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Discussion ¶

March 19, 2014 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

Catherine Fonck, the rapporteur, refers to her written report.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, dear colleagues, our group supports this reform because it proceeds from a healthy design of our social security. Indeed, it is not normal that contributions paid by workers and employers during the last months of their professional career find no counterpart in terms of the replacement rate that the retirement pension is supposed to translate. In other words, under the pretext of the complexity of the exact calculation of the amount of the pension, the mere disappearance of the principle of insurance of the last labour benefits in favor of the sole principle of general solidarity was not accepted by the workers. Taking into account the recent months of activity is a matter of social justice. It can be decisive – it must be emphasized – in terms of access to the minimum pension.

This bill restores a balance and ends the discrimination that employed workers were subject to when considering the public sector employees. However, it can be regretted that it took so much time to realize this project, which is included in the government agreement and will only be implemented from 2015.

That said, if we can understand that the need to collect accurate wage data represents a significant administrative burden, our group believes that things cannot remain as they are. In the long run, the amount of the pension must correspond exactly to the rights actually constituted, avoiding, as far as possible, corrections a posteriori.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, colleagues, also for CD&V it is important that the reform of survivor pension can encourage widows and widows to build up pensions rights themselves and remain at work. It remains our concern that adequate protection is provided to the most vulnerable group, widows and widows, so that they today reach a minimum income with the survival pension.

Mrs Becq, the point that is now addressed is that of the last months of the career.

I think that is also a good measure.

The pensioners who were born in December and thus would retire in October, November or December, previously worked the last year, but could not build up a pension. They are now receiving a very beautiful gift from this government, and we can stand behind it.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, dear colleagues, in the Social Affairs Committee, we have voted for several bills reforming the calculation of the pension of salaried workers. These projects will soon be followed by other projects relating to self-employed pensions that are being examined in the Economic Committee. All these texts dedicate a comprehensive reform of pensions, as it is inscribed in the government agreement.

These plans are common sense. They were expected by the workers of our country as they aim to take into account the last months of the career in calculating the pension and soften the principle of the career unit.

As regards the first point, the MR group would like to emphasize that it is normal and appreciable that all working days leading to payment of social contributions may be included in the calculation of the pension, even when the worker decides to take his pension during a calendar year. It is normal to take into account the last months provided.

With regard to the easing of the Career Unit principle, we are delighted to see this reform succeed. Indeed, 14 040 days for a full pension instead of 45 years is a good step because it allows to better account for each working day provided. However, it will be necessary to evaluate the relevance of ⁇ ining the ceiling as it is today, but I have no doubt that we will return to this debate in the months and years to come.

Mr. President, Mr. Minister, it is with great pleasure that the MR will support all these texts, which you do not doubt!

There seems to be some confusion. Are all the projects discussed together? It is both about the last career and about the survival pension. This is no longer very clear to me.

When I look at the agenda, I think we are now dealing with the last months of the career. The next point is the unit of career and the third point is the solidarity contribution. These were the points for pensions. The survival pension is for a next session.

There’s something else on the board, that’s why I am confused.

Even if the pictures indicate something else today, it is really a day as we would call it.

The acoustic here is terrible, Mr. Speaker.

I will propose the destruction of the building and its reconstruction in the next legislature. I’m sorry, but it’s like that.

Who takes care of the painting? It will be adapted. It is perfect! When it comes to acoustics, you take care of it. I cannot do everything. I will also be asked to serve coffee.

I would like to say that I will speak only once. I am speaking on all points at one time. Per ⁇ that is why you have been misled.

On this first item on the agenda amending Royal Decree No. 50 of 24 October 1967 concerning the pension and survival pension of employed workers, no. 3377/1 to 4, which will soon be included on the table, there were three speakers, Mr. Sampaoli, Mrs Becq and Mr. by Clarinval.

I now ask the Minister if he wishes to intervene, so that it is acknowledged in the minutes. That is what matters!

The situation was that the months, worked in the last year of the career, did not count for calculating the pension. There was a technical reason for that. In the past, it was difficult to include them in the calculation of pensions. If one stopped working in year N, then the full 12 months worked in year N-1 were counted, but those were based on the rights of year N-2.

The solution we implement here is that the months worked during the last incomplete year are calculated on the basis of the N-1 rights already based on N-2. It is, therefore, an extension of the calculation that already exists today, but which is applied to the last few months.

This is in line with the general philosophy of pension reform.

One element of the pension reform is to limit the possibilities of leaving work too early. A second axis of the pension reform is to ensure that the people who work for it are rewarded in their retirement. This element makes this very clear.

Every day worked in the career will ensure a build-up of retirement, even if it is the last months of the career. This, in my opinion, is a very coherent measure, with the philosophy of what this government has intended to do with regard to longer work.