FNC members appeal to President to raise pensions
Public employees who retired before 2008 and military veterans in focus
Members of the Federal National Council (FNC) yesterday made a plea to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to raise pensions of government employees who had retired before 2008 and military veterans.
The plea was made after the Cabinet turned down two motions submitted by the House to increase pensions of retirees before 2008 and veteran military and police officers.
Members of the House have repeatedly called for changes to a system under which those who retired after 2008 receive pensions up to six times higher than colleagues of the same rank who retired before that date. The pension gap has risen to up to Dh100,000 because a salary increase in 2008 was not made retrospective to increase the pensions of officers who had already retired.
Mohammad Salem Bin Kardous Al Ameri, a member from Abu Dhabi, said some pensioners get a monthly pay of Dh10,000, which is not enough for them to lead a decent life.
Reiterating it was unfair that pensioners who retired before 2008 received less than those who retired later, Al Ameri said there were retired officers of major general rank who get a monthly pension of Dh30,000 and others of the same rank who get a retirement pay of more than Dh120,000 a month,” Al Ameri said.
Salem Obaid Al Shamsi, a member from Sharjah, joined in the plea and sought support from all members of the House.
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, FNC Speaker, said, “We all wholeheartedly support the plea to President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa to increase pensions for those who retired before 2008.”
High cost of living
Naama Al Sharhan, a member from Ras Al Khaimah, said with the high cost of living “we are experiencing nowadays, no Emirati family can live on Dh10,000. Many Emirati educationists have retired and are now getting Dh10,000 as monthly pay. Rising prices leave these families unfulfilled by their incomes.”
The Cabinet has, however, approved other motions of the House to allow Emiratis to get more than one pension from private businesses and allow citizens who have retired to seek new jobs while still collecting a state pension, which will encourage Emiratis to work in the private sector.
The Cabinet has also approved a change in retirement laws to give Emirati pensioners annual inflation-linked rises.
The council has repeatedly called for reforms to allow earlier retirement for women and higher pensions for Emiratis.
The Federal National Council has called for reform of the retirement and pension systems to encourage more Emiratis to work in the private sector and a change in retirement laws to give Emirati pensioners annual inflation-linked rises.
Members have asked for amendments to the law that would increase eligibility to pensions, harmonise the two existing pension systems and bring forward the retirement age for many women.