MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan Senate passes social security reform on to Lower House

“The reform is unfair, it attacks the workers, particularly the most vulnerable ones”, Bergara pointed out

Uruguay's Senate Wednesday approved each article in particular of the social security reform bill, which will now go to the Lower House for further deliberation.

“The social security system bill has been approved and will be passed to the House of Deputies...,” said Vice President (and Senate Speaker) Beatriz Argimón on closing the year's last session.

“There is no Uruguayan who does not understand that this reform is absolutely necessary,” said National Party Senator Sergio Botana during a press conference later Wednesday. He insisted that the bill he authored was “an act of responsibility and intelligence that we have done thinking about the future, with good sense, with tranquility, without contraindications, listening to everyone, changing wordings, truly we are extremely happy with what we have voted. We have done it with great satisfaction, responsibility, and affection for the country, and without thinking at any moment in a short-term political issue,” he added.

Senator Mario Bergara of the opposition Broad Front argued that now “the cost of the reform rests on the shoulders of the workers.”

“The reform is unfair, it attacks the workers, particularly the most vulnerable ones”, he pointed out.

Bergara was joined by Senators Óscar Andrade and Liliam Kechichian, who questioned the speed with which the bill was dealt with, as well as the increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65.

“The conditions for accessing [a] retirement [pension] are toughened and the retirement age is raised,” said Andrade, while Kechichian maintained that the bill “changes the rules of the game for all those born after 1973.”