The Executive of Pedro Sánchez refuses to recognize the national police and civil guards as risk professionals. In his opinion, there is no list of “risk professions” as such, despite the fact that other police forces (mossos, ertzainas, local…) are recognized, which allows them retire early (59 years old) receiving 100% of your salary. And here is the key, the Ministry of the Interior refuses to assume this new cost.
On May 21 of last year, a ruling from the Supreme Court (TS) obliged the Government to “initiate the procedure and prepare a regulatory provision to regulation of early retirement for the members of the National Police covered by the General Social Security Regime on equal terms with the rest of the regional and local police forces.” An obligation that the high court had to remind him just a month ago through “a forced execution procedure.”
The ultimatum took effect and the Government already has its draft for the royal decree. A text that has already provoked indignation among the agents: “If this goes ahead, it will be one of the biggest attacks on the rights of police officers“. Because, in the opinion of the Spanish Police Confederation (CEP), “it amputates the right to early retirement to two thirds of the police officers.” The reason? This measure will only affect one third of the officers, those who belong to Social Securitysince the Supreme Court ruling does not include the national police integrated into the Passive Classes regime. “They will not be able to have it even though they have decades leaving their skin and risking their lives for others,” they denounce.
It will affect the agents’ payroll
At this point, the draft handled by the Government already fails to meet its main objective, which is none other than to end inequalities between police officers. Although it is not the only “but” of a text that establishes that will not be fulfilled until the General State Budgets are approved and, at this moment, “they are neither there nor expected.” Finally, and the most worrying thing, it is found in the small print, since, as explained by the CEP, “if this royal decree is approved, the Social Security colleagues who want retire earlier they will have to pay for it“.
And the Executive would not be responsible for the total cost involved in this measure. “It would be taken out of their salaries because the cost of that early retirement would come from a additional contribution of 10.6%, distributed between the State (8.84%) and the police (1.76%). That is to say, there will be a payroll deduction to cover the cost“, they explain from this police union.
From the CEP they point out that the scheme followed by the draft of the royal decree of early retirement for the National Police is “almost copied from that of the Local Police and other already existing reducing coefficients.” Recognize a coefficient of 0.20 for full years workedfixed a maximum advance of five years with respect to the ordinary age (or six years if thirty-seven years of effective activity and contributions are proven) and the reduction time is computed as quotedin order to determine the percentage applicable to the regulatory base.
Punishment of the Civil Guard
The Spanish Police Confederation declared the permanent collective conflict and does not attend Police Council meetingslike other unions such as Equiparación Ya (EYA). The reason, the lack of response from the Ministry of the Interior, whose head is Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to the demands of the agents.
This Wednesday, the representative associations of the Civil Guard (UO, ASESGC, AUGC, JUCIL, APC-GC, AEGC and IGC) in unity of action, have left the Plenary Session of the Council of the Armed Institute in protest at the processing of this draft royal decree which establishes the coefficient reducing the retirement age for police officers assigned to the Social Security regime.
“We cannot tolerate the fact that a draft royal decree is being processed that recognizes the risk profession only for national police officers,” they denounce. Likewise, they consider that the only reason given by the Executive for excluding the civil guards is their “military nature”despite the fact that they have been requesting for years that they be considered a risky profession on equal terms with the rest of the State’s police officers.
And for all this, “in the face of this very serious fact”, all the associations announce in unison that They will not participate in the next working groups, commissions and plenary sessions, until they are summoned by the Secretary of State for Security or Grande-Marlaska himself to open a dialogue table and achieve the same economic retirement conditions as the rest of the police forces.
Are we facing a historic advance?
The Spanish Police Confederation considers that the Government intends to sell as “historical progress” a draft rule that does not even resolve early retirement in the National Police nor does it correct structural discrimination within the Corps.
The vision of the JUPOL union is more optimistic, although it points out that this achievement does not respond to a “voluntary initiative” of the Government, but is a direct consequence of a ruling won by this union in the Supreme Court. And although it only affects those agents who belong to Social Security, “opens the way and unlocks the possibility of improvement the retirement also of the Passive Classes”.
At this point, they insist that this royal decree “does not harm the current retirement conditions at all of the colleagues assigned to the Passive Classes regime” and that the fight for a dignified retirement for all has not ended. “we are not going to leave anyone behind and we will continue to promote all the necessary actions to guarantee that all national police, iregardless of the contribution regime to which they are assignedhave access to a dignified retirement in conditions of full equality,” they clarify.