San Marino. “Solidarity is translated into fiscal equity and public health”
With a reminder of the 91 San Marino victims who died as a result of the pandemic, many of whom were members of the FUPS, the 12th Congress of the CSdL Pensioners Federation was held today at the Palazzo di Serravalle, on the theme “The value of solidarity”. A moving thought and a minute of silence were dedicated to them by the congress assembly.
To report it is a press release. “During the works, an important agenda was also unanimously approved:” The Congress meeting is clearly opposed to the attempt to further withdraw a large and unspecified amount from the Pension Fund to support the public budget , as hastily communicated by the Finance Secretariat in the future yesterday; this measure could be introduced in the budget adjustment that will be approved next week. “
Solidarity, a theme around which the entire Congress revolved, as the outgoing Secretary Elio Pozzi explained in the introductory report, “is a noun that indicates a form of ethical-social commitment in favor of others, also with reference to social formations such as family or associations of various kinds. In the Declaration of the rights of the San Marino legal system, this concept is reported in article 13, which reads: “All citizens have the obligation to be faithful to the laws and institutions of the Republic, to participate in its defense, and to contribute to the costs public due to their ability to pay. “
“More people than in the past remain active for a long time – highlighted Elio Pozzi – they prolong their working career and social activity after retirement, thanks to healthier lifestyles and medical advances. These new realities change the perception of aging. At the same time, retirement age presents challenges for individuals, but also for the social protection systems that support them.
For many, retirement brings a decline in income and, for some, the threat of poverty in old age. People face increasing financial risks associated with, for example, the need for long-term health care. Women tend to earn less, have shorter and less linear careers. The pensions of women in the EU are on average 29.5% lower than those of men. “
Elio Pozzi affirmed the hypothesis of pension reform, which was the subject of a first phase of comparison during the summer: “A difficult period is expected for retirees as the pension reform project presented to us foresees heavy interventions on retirement income. In this context, women, who already at working age earn lower wages, receive lower pension benefits than men, with an even more real risk. It is necessary to insert corrective measures to compensate for periods of maternity and / or parental care that make it possible to reach a level of retirement remuneration that allows a dignified life. “
“Already with the tax reform of 2013 – Elio Pozzi pointed out – workers and retirees have seen their taxation almost doubled, while for the other categories of the company nothing or almost nothing has changed! Therefore, before accepting any changes to our taxation, we expect to see effective verification tools implemented for all San Marino citizens and economic operators. The reforms must be faced together with the pension reform for a pact of intergenerational solidarity and of the whole society; the resources to remedy the public debt cannot come only from one part of society, that is, from fixed-income workers and retirees. If that were the case, I think it would be very difficult to endure the social peace that the country needs instead! A decisive contribution to equity can come from the Smac Card, capable of allowing deductions for workers and pensioners, and documentation of the revenues of economic operators. “
“Healthcare and socio-sanitary assistance – highlighted the FUPS Secretary – must be reviewed from the ground up. The by now consolidated difficulties of basic medicine have consolidated. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated the importance of public health for all; the pressures towards a privatization of health care have undergone a sharp downsizing, exalting instead the highly democratic aspect of the state’s social protection system. We claim a renewed and enhanced basic medicine, in which new technologies are massively used to respond to the needs that arise from the aging of society to expand the autonomy, independence and participation of the elderly with disabilities in the social path, of primary importance for active and healthy aging. Wider use of active aging products and services could improve the efficiency of health and social care systems; telemedicine, remote assistance, the use of mobile phones for communications with the family doctor, etc. The limited spending power of some can be mitigated by free and good quality healthcare. “It is necessary to enhance and implement the Territorial Domiciliary Service.
The FUPS Secretary added: “In 2017 Italy allocated 8.8% of GDP to healthcare, placing itself below the EU average of 9.8%. In San Marino health expenditure is around 80 million euros, taking into account that the GDP is around one billion and four hundred million; there is a percentage of 5.7% of GDP which is among the lowest in Europe, and which corresponds to less than half of France and Germany, which have very low rates of use of private healthcare.
So the alarms about overspending on health are absolutely unwarranted. We are witnessing an emergence of services in various departments, previously of good quality, and an increase in paid drugs. We are against the introduction of any tickets, because the right to health through public health must be guaranteed for everyone. We cannot accept that what was a pride of the San Marino citizens is dismantled without their knowledge. The announced construction of a new hospital leaves us perplexed, I believe that the future of San Marino healthcare needs to be clarified and defined first, and then to build the appropriate container. Living a peaceful old age is a right and not a concession. Therefore retirees claim quality and universal assistance, to offer, in particular to the non self-sufficient, an efficient health and social health protection network ”.
“The basic claim of pensioners – remarked Elio Pozzi – is the full implementation of the” Charter of the rights of the elderly “(Law January 7, 2008 n. 1), a law of civilization strongly desired by the Pensioners Federations. It includes actions for the maintenance of older people in the social context, the promotion of socialization activities, housing for people with mobility difficulties, the rights of guests in residential structures, the elimination of architectural barriers, and other interventions. At the same time, it is essential to set up a specific fund for the financing of social, health and welfare services for the elderly, in particular for the non self-sufficient.
There are over 500 carers in San Marino who provide assistance to non self-sufficient elderly people. In our territory there are currently workers from San Marino or residents available and able to perform welfare functions, but this has not been possible because the regulation does not provide for it; more importantly, the regulation should allow a relative of the dependent person to assist him. It has now become possible temporarily for the duration of the pandemic. If this possibility became structural, even beyond the pandemic, the advantages for the client would be manifold; it would be looked after by a relative without language problems or in terms of eating habits. The revision of the carers’ regulation has become urgent. I believe that the time has come to finally establish the one-stop shop for carers. “
With respect to the theme of trade union unity, “The CSU can be considered a strong bulwark for the maintenance of democracy in the country, despite the fact that many forces have worked and are working to divide this great democratic force; we believe instead that we must consolidate and maintain this strong prerogative of ours, creating the conditions for an ever greater representation of the world of work in our country. There are about 7,800 resident pensioners in San Marino, and the percentage of enrollment in the CSU Pensioners Federations is very high, it can be estimated close to 90%. This is also due to the patronage services offered to registered retirees and the numerous agreements for retirees.
We must commit ourselves to common actions and objectives by speaking with a single voice, only in this way to influence the country’s politics in a decisive way. It will be possible to reach every goal thanks to a strong unity of trade union action to make it possible to transform projects and intentions into concrete results. “
The FUPS Secretary then communicated his desire to reapply for the next congressional mandate.
The interventions of the guests were also very appreciated: Livio Melgari, International Head of the SPI-CGIL, who underlined the value of solidarity, also recalling the great heart of the San Marino people, when they welcomed and fed many thousands of displaced people in the district during the second World War; Cinzia cesarini, Director of the La Fiorina RSA, who underlined the extreme delicacy of the care work for the elderly guests of the structure.
The work was concluded with the unanimous approval of the final motion, with the election of the delegates who will participate in the 20th CSdL Congress and with the vote for the new FUPS Steering Committee.
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