Catarina Martins, the feisty and recently empowered leader of the Left Bloc, said today that all state pensions will be unfrozen and that those who are receiving low pensions will see an increase.
The Socialist Party, the Communists and the Left Bloc are deep in negotiation with the aim of presenting a left wing solution that can be accepted as an alternative to the minority coalition that currently leads the country.
The left wing coup is planned for November 11th when the left-of-centre parties will propose a vote of 'no confidence' in the Passos Coelho-Paulo Portas righ wing coalition.
Martins admitted that the pension situation is a complex one but insists that there is left wing party agreement on the need for a recovery in Portuguese incomes. Part of this is to unfreeze pensions and allow the released cash to work its way through the economy.
Agreement between the Left Bloc and the Socialist Party is not easy as "the convergence processes are complex, but we are working towards what we consider as the best alternative," said Martins.
One of the areas that all of those currently in opposition agree on is "that all income must be thawed, pensions and wages, for an earnings recovery."
"The political commitment we are making allows pensioners to recover their pensions over the period of the legislature," said Martins, adding that "if we had a right-wing government people would lose out from cuts, if we had a Socialist Party government, pensions would remain frozen.”
"What I can say now is that there is agreement that all pensions will be unfrozen.”
