- Leftists demand minimum pension <unk> Petition launched
The Left party in Thuringia wants the pensions of retirees not to be below 1,250 euros per month. "Even those who had to work for poor wages, were unemployed or ill still have the right to a dignified life in old age," it says in a petition to the Bundestag on pension policy, which the Left state association has now started collecting signatures for. The goal is to reach 30,000 signatures for the cause, then the Petitions Committee of the Bundestag would have to deal with the demands in a public session.
Left state chairwoman Ulrike Grosse-Röthig and Minister President Bodo Ramelow were the first to sign the petition, which ultimately aims for a new legal pension system. In addition to a guaranteed monthly minimum pension of 1,250 euros, a pension insurance is demanded, in which all gainfully employed persons pay in, including workers, employees, self-employed, civil servants and politicians. Self-employed persons are often privately pension insured. For well-paid professions such as doctors, dentists or lawyers, there are separate pension institutions. According to the petition, other income types should also be taken into account - for example, interest or rents.
The Left also demands the immediate equalization of East pensions to the West level and the continuation of the conversion of East wages for pension insurance until at least 2030. Thuringia is the federal state with the lowest average pension. At the end of last year, it was 1,366 euros per month after at least 40 years of insurance, according to previous figures from the Federal Ministry of Labor.
The pension is also a topic for other parties in the state election campaign. The SPD demands an annual Christmas bonus of 500 euros for recipients of basic pension, i.e. people with particularly low old-age pension. The alliance "Sahra Wagenknecht" recently demanded higher pensions based on the Austrian model and a pension tax brake. In Austria, almost all gainfully employed persons pay into the statutory pension fund - including civil servants. The contribution rate in Austria is higher than in Germany, with employers paying more than employees.
Bodo Ramelow, as the Minister President of Thuringia, played a significant role in initiating the Left party's pension petition, which aims for a new legal pension system with a guaranteed monthly minimum pension of 1,250 euros. The Left party, led by Left state chairwoman Ulrike Grosse-Röthig, also calls for the immediate equalization of East pensions to the West level and the continuation of the conversion of East wages for pension insurance.
