In March 2018, the so-called “salary equalization agreement” was signed so that national police and civil guards were paid the same as other state police. Well, in these last six years, A retired national police officer would have lost up to 70,000 euros compared to a police officer. The reason? While a regional agent retires early (59 years old) without any loss of purchasing power, a National Police agent does suffer a reduction in the remuneration he receives upon retirement. In figures, An ertzaina or a mosso can charge up to 500 euros more per month than a national police officer or a civil guard. Difference that It increases to 900 euros per month after retirement.
A comparative grievance that will reach the Senate this Wednesday. And it is that The Upper House will approve tomorrow a Bill of the Popular Partywhose objective is to include members of the National Police Corps and the Civil Guard within the list of risk professions. Specifically, it proposes including these agents, as well as those of the Customs Surveillance Service, within the groups that enjoy a reduction coefficient for the retirement age, due to the dangerous nature of their work. Rule that must be subsequently endorsed in the Congress of Deputies to come into force, where there is also a non-law Proposal registered by the real equalization and total of the National Police and the Civil Guard, as well as their early retirement.
Because belonging to a risky profession directly affects retirement. In what sense? Professionals grouped in the so-called risk professions have the option of request “early retirement” collecting 100% of the benefit. And who decides which professions are risky? The Ministry of Labor is in charge of preparing this list, which includes railway workers, artists, miners, aerial work flight personnel, bullfighting professionals, firefighters, as well as members of the regional and local police forces. However, although the Mossos and Ertzainas are on the list, the agents of the National Police and the Civil Guard are not. Prison officials also do not appear.
Up to 12,600 euros less per year
Discrimination on the part of the State, which affects the pockets of the agents. While a regional police officer can retire at age 59 with 100% of his retirement benefit, a civil guard has to wait until he is 65 to avoid seeing his pension reduced. There is always the option of retiring early, between the ages of 55 and 58, but they would not receive the full pension. In short, state bodies would suffer a salary loss of around 30% and in the best of cases they would end up receiving a pension of 1,623.85 euros compared to the 2,819.16 that a police officer receives. Thus, a Benemérita agent or a retired national police officer will earn up to 12,625 euros less per year than a regional police officer.
Thus, the refusal to increase the pensions of the State Security Forces and Corps becomes one of the main reasons why the Executive of Pedro Sanchez refuses to include national police and civil guards in the list of high-risk professions, despite being more than accredited.
Dignified retirement, in process
It must be remembered that the Ertzaintza has had early retirement since 2008, the local police since 2019 and, more recently, the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Foral Police of Navarra who achieved it in 2022. In this way, all Police groups would already see this right recognized, except for the National Police and the Civil Guard. On June 1, the Ombudsman reported that the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, headed by Elma Saiz, had initiated the procedures “to establish reducing coefficients and anticipate the retirement age in the Social Security system.” He did so through a letter, signed by his first deputy, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril.
On the other hand, the PP registered on May 17 in the Congress of Deputies a Non-Law Proposition for real and total equality of the National Police and the Civil Guard, as well as their early retirement. Specifically, it requires four very specific points for debate in the Plenary Session of the Lower House:
- To place an order a new external consulting report that indicates the amounts pending to be allocated, position by position, until the real, total and absolute equality of the National Police and the Civil Guard with the Autonomous Police Forces.
- Run the third clause of the 2018 Equalization Agreementto allow the return to active life of police officers and civil guards who are in an administrative situation of Second Activity or Reserve, recognizing their right to equalization.
- Prepare a Law on remuneration of the State Security Forces and Bodies that prevents new inequalities in the future in relation to the rest of the Police in Spanish territory.
- Proceed to studies and appropriate legislative modifications, to approve early voluntary retirement to National Police and Civil Guards.