The Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security has committed to correcting and reworking the mechanism that lets people who did student internships in the past, and did not contribute for them, pay a sum to recover years of contribution for future pension calculations. This is aimed especially at fixing gaps for researchers or scientists who spend long periods under internship agreements with public institutions. Unions criticized the government for approving the measure unilaterally, as published in the Official State Gazette on May 1.
A spokesperson stated that the government has heard the various contributions and will evaluate them, and, where appropriate, consider whether further measures are needed. This followed a meeting with employers and unions earlier in the week. The interpretation presented by union representatives highlighted the government’s willingness to renegotiate the plan.
The ministerial order approved two weeks ago allows anyone who previously completed student internships to contribute for those periods. The option to recover up to a maximum of five years of contribution would increase future pension credits and boost the overall retirement balance.
Critics from the union centers pointed to the five-year cap and the substantial cost that potential beneficiaries must bear. They must pay to Social Security a total of 288.3 euros for every month spent in internships. The cost is described as prohibitive for many people, especially those without a robust professional salary history needed to cover such payments.
The government bases the calculation on the current minimum contribution base tied to the national minimum wage and applies the same standard to all potentially creditable periods. In practical terms, someone who interned in 2005 when the minimum wage was 515 euros would pay the same as someone earning the minimum wage today, around 1,132 euros.
Labor unions are pushing to extend the recoverable internship period from five to seven years, arguing that this was a long-standing commitment and that delays have harmed more people. The expansion would especially affect researchers with fellowships who may spend up to a decade on projects under non-salaried contracts.
Shifts in Priorities
Pressure from unions and affected groups has prompted a change in the meeting agenda. The government had initially planned to advance pension reform discussions with social partners. The new focus rests on four pillars: linking pensions to continued work, early retirement, partial retirement, and greater involvement of health mutuals in treatment protocols.
During the talks, the minister has outlined additional steps, such as asking an independent body to periodically review the activities of collaborating mutuals. The ministerial order, already published, allows past student interns to make payments to Social Security to gain credit in their pension calculations.
Over six months of negotiations that began in late December, consensus has emerged on some issues, such as the treatment of fixed-term workers. The government has committed to restoring partial employment coefficients for this group and granting a higher contribution for enough months to qualify for a larger pension later on.
Advancement priorities now focus on formalizing procedures to regularize old internships and then address the remaining questions in the pension reform plan.