The Parliament of Catalonia spends some 1.7 million euros per year on the salaries of 21 officials who are paid without working, taking advantage of a figure called ‘age leave’ that was created in 2008 and that the Catalan Chamber modified at the end of 2021 to partially correct this privilege.
As the newspaper Ara published this Monday, these are workers over 60 years of age and with more than 15 years of experience, who until they retire can maintain their salary, with their respective contributions, and continue adding seniority. As they are employees with long experience, some of the salaries exceed that of the president of the Generalitat (130,250 euros per year) and are close to that of the president of the chamber, Laura Borràs (155,570).
Taking into account the trienniums -which in the Parliament imply a 5% increase in salary for every three years worked-, on average, the lowest remuneration of civil servants attached to leave by age range from almost 4,000 gross euros per month for fourteen payments -for auxiliary ushers or telephone operators- up to 10,000 euros per month in the case of former general secretaries or former department heads. This, multiplied by 14 payments, means between 56,000 and 150,000 euros a year without working for a maximum of five years.
The Catalan Chamber modified this labor concept a few weeks ago, but they argue that they cannot eliminate it because, having been applied for years, it has become an acquired right. In addition, the changes will have no effect on current beneficiaries or those who applied last year.
Since January 1 of this year, age leave has become a kind of progressive reduction in working hours for a period of five years, linking salary to attendance. In addition, workers who request it between 2022 and 2023 can also opt for a full-time leave without occupying the job, but earning less than now.
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