The protest started from the parking lot of the NLB bank to Freedom Square, where the speeches of the organizers were held.
Pensioners from Tuzla are asking for higher pensions, because, as they said, you cannot live or survive on 600 KM, which is the minimum pension.
“They want to deceive pensioners again, currently the average pension is 680 marks, they are going for a new law starting at 651 marks. They offer for 40 years that the minimum pension cannot be lower than 618 marks, so if they had the guts, they would at least take the average here, so everything is manipulation. We are fighting against injustice, against the unfair distribution of pensions, we are also fighting for social status people and pensioners, we are fighting for all pensions to be calculated in the form of rent. And when it is calculated, when it is seen that a person does not have enough money to live, then let social funds be given from the budget, and not funds from the PIO MIO fund,” said Vehid Jahić, organizer of the pensioners’ protest in Tuzla and president of the New Pensioners’ Party.
Pensioners point out that current pensions are insufficient to cover basic living expenses, especially at a time of rising food, medicine and utility prices.
“I have a minimum pension, I also have a loan, I really wouldn’t know how I manage to survive a month. Life is hard for us, believe me. From this little church, I pay the bills first, so what I have left, and there is little left,” Mirzeta Hamzić, a pensioner from Tuzla, told Vijesti.ba.
Pensioners’ representatives emphasized that they will continue to put pressure on the competent institutions until a systemic solution is found that would enable regular and fair adjustment of pensions, as well as better social protection of the most vulnerable categories.
(Vijesti.ba)
