Cuts to pension premiums divide Sejm

A draft of the bill currently before the Sejm proposes a 3% cut in pension premiums for employees this year, followed by a further 2% cut for both employers and employees at the beginning of 2008. Gilowska claims that this reduction will enable many companies to lower labor costs, however, the League of Polish Families and Self-Defense are against the cuts saying that the budget should support pensioners and families and not protect company revenues. While he has agreed to the first cut, Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych is not supportive of the 2008 reduction either as he says it will deprive the Social Insurance Company (ZUS) of too much revenue. Civic Platform says the Prime Minister can count on its support if he gets behind the bill. (Rzeczpospolita, May 26-27, p.A1,B2) M.M.