Pensioners in Nicosia will mark the International Day of Older People, celebrated annually on October 1 since 1990, with a protest outside the finance ministry on Thursday in response to what trade union Peo general secretary Sotiroulla Charalambous describe as “a lack of respect and dignity shown to the elderly by the government”.
Charalambous criticised the government’s decisions, particularly the removal of measures such as the zero VAT on electricity and the subsidy for electricity costs, which she said disproportionately affect low-income pensioners.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the general assembly of the Union of Cypriot pensioners (Ekysy), Charalambous said pensioners “are taking to the streets because they have no other option left”.
Charalambous explained that the World Federation of Trade Unions (Wtfu), of which Peo is a member, uses October 1 as a day to mobilise pensioners globally for a better quality of life.
“In Cyprus, our pensioners will honour this day with their struggles, as they have no choice but to protest again in order to demand respect and dignity,” she said.
She cited data showing that one-third of Cypriots have an income below €14,000, with one-third of pensioners living at or near the poverty line.
‘Instead of implementing policies that support our pensioners, the government is adopting measures that take away the little they have,” she added.
Charalambous also emphasised that securing dignified pensions for all pensioners and eliminating the 12 per cent penalty for those who choose to retire at 63 are top priorities for Peo.
Speaking after her, Ekysy General Secretary Kostas Skarparis stressed the need for measures to address rising costs of living, the abolition of the 12 per cent penalty for early retirement and increases in pensions and the poverty line threshold.
He also called for improvements to the Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI), the extension of widower’s pensions to all, free transportation for all pensioners, and the reinstatement of the Easter bonus.
Skarparis concluded by saying that despite numerous appeals over the past 11 years to both the Anastasiades and Christodoulides governments, “these issues remain unresolved, leaving thousands of pensioners struggling and suffering”.
