Junts advocates for a higher annual pension increase for Catalan retirees.

Last Tuesday, Junts presented a proposal to the Senate to change the focus of pension reform. The main objective? To increase pensions in Catalonia more than in the rest of Spain . The proposal from the Catalan parliamentary group did not arrive as a bill, but rather as a motion in the Senate, urging the government to differentiate the annual increase by autonomous community. Thus, Junts advocated revaluing pensions based on the real cost of living in each autonomous community , rather than the current model in which the CPI dictates the increase. In other words, changing the system and establishing a periodic update mechanism that reflects variations in the cost of living in each region. The PP and PSOE have already rejected the measure.

To this end, they propose creating a technical study to define an objective methodology that would allow for an accurate calculation of the real cost of living in each autonomous region in order to apply these criteria to the revaluation. At this time, there are doubts about whether the initiative could go further , according to party sources, who admit that the underlying issue is to foster the economic management of Social Security "with proximity" through debate. In other words, the issue addresses this dispute and is based on the premise of managing resources from Catalonia, a system similar to the one the Basque Country is negotiating with the government.

Party sources consulted by elEconomista.es argue that the territorial differentiation should be implemented at the same time as the transfer to the territory. They assert that "dialogue between Catalan unions and employers' associations is fluid." Sources from the Catalan social dialogue, however, warn that this issue "is not among their priorities."

On the other hand, other sources from national social stakeholders assert that they will not support the measure, as it would create a differentiation between the different Spanish regions, and they maintain that pension management is a state responsibility. This was also reiterated by the PSOE representative in her speech in the Senate.

According to the Catalan party's proposal, the cost of living in their region is 7.6% higher than the national average . They also mention in the document published on the Senate website that the same situation is true in the Basque Country (where, they claim, it is 7.1% higher) and in Madrid (15.7% higher than the average). In other words, the request would double this year's 2.8% increase in inflation and exceed next year's forecasts. According to the consensus of the Funcas panel, which compiles forecasts from various organizations, 2025 will close with a CPI of 2.5%. Furthermore, according to data from the Catalan Institute of Statistics, inflation currently stands at 2.2%.

The Catalan party also advocates linking annual increases in the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI) to this new indicator , which they believe will be able to measure variations in the cost of living. The post-convergent parties do not limit this proposal to Catalonia, but rather propose that each autonomous community or "nation" allow for a higher rate in some regions than in others. This is something the Basque Country has attempted on occasion, but the government and national social partners strongly oppose.