Protest of Seniors – News from Mures, Targu Mures News

The headquarters of the prefectures throughout the country were picketed on Tuesday, October 11, by the representatives of the representative national federations of pensioners’ associations. Among those who joined the protest action at the national level are the pensioners from Mureș, who gathered in front of the headquarters of the Mureș Prefecture, expressing their dissatisfaction with the desperate situation in which the pensioners are living.

“At the national level, all the prefectures are picketed today by pensioners who are members of the various federations in the country. We, the League of Pensioners Mureș, belong to the National Federation of Pensioners from Romania. They requested us, that’s why we came”, said Sorina Bloj, president of the League of Mureș Pensioners. There were several dozen people who expressed their dissatisfaction with the pension situation, the price increase and last but not least with the lack of respect of the governors towards pensioners.

“We set out to be more. Unfortunately, we are not because people really have a hard time, they can’t tear themselves away from their mouths and from the medicine, from the pharmacy to pay for a ticket to travel to Târgu Mureș. Basically, we came to this protest action at our own expense. Many are sick, even I have a laryngitis, but despite all that I came”, said Sorina Bloj.

The main grievances

Increasing pensions by 15% starting from November 2022, stopping the increase in basic food prices”, applying the correction coefficient without discrimination when calculating pensions”, capping energy prices at a bearable level were some of the grievances of those present, armed with placards on which one could read, among other things, “Inflated prices, this is not justice!”, “Abolish the allowances granted to elected officials”, “We also want to live well like you”. Those present handed a Memorandum to the leadership of the Prefecture, with the hope that someone, somewhere, will listen to their grievances

“Anyway, we have no hope that anyone will help us. We have been led astray for so long. We are not against anyone, we who are here are for us. Everyone has the right in this country to be respected, to have a roof over their head, to have something to put on the table. We also want to be respected and to add to these minimum pensions the social allowance that is given to all those who have not worked even a day. Even with these we have nothing, because they have their reasons for not being able to work. It’s their problem, but why should we be discriminated against? After 38 years, even over 40 years, should a woman retire with 1,200 lei? Can it support itself? Then it was better not to work a day, he did what he wanted and today he received 1,000 lei. It’s a joke, in our opinion. As demands, first of all we want the increase of pensions, then the regulation of prices. Also, the regulation of education for the young, because we are also talking about our grandchildren and children. Let it be an education for us, for the children and not for their destruction. Not least the health system. Also, let’s not receive, for example, those vouchers of 250 lei every 2 months. Isn’t it mockery, isn’t it humiliation? Our desire is to be respected. That’s what we want, that’s why we wrote this message on one of our placards, “Respect for Seniors!”, a message that includes them all”, said Sorina Bloj.

Alin ZACHARIE