| The Constitutional Court has acknowledged lawful the present
pension legislation of the RF. Rosbalt obtained this information from the
press service of State Duma deputy and member of the YABLOKO party Sergei
Popov. We should note here that the present pension legislation excludes
many periods from the labour term: the years of study in colleges and universities,
military service, service in the police, years spent by a woman nursing
a baby, time on unemployment benefit and some others.
In July 2003 deputies of the State Duma from the YABLOKO faction initiated
an inquiry to the Constitutional Court. A further 115 deputies of the
Duma signed the document. The Duma commissioned Sergei Popov as its representative
in the Constitutional Court.
“The state established the rules of the game, but now acts as
a notorious master of his word from a funny story – “to give
or take back whenever he likes”, noted Sergei Popov. “De facto
the law introduces new obligations for citizens (demanding in particular
a longer labour term than before for several categories of workers) which
have retroactive force, in direct contradiction with Article 55 of the
Constitution of the RF.”
“I find this decision of the Constitutional Court incorrect, stressed
Popov. – This issue will obviously be considered by the Strasburg
Court.”
On compliance of the provisions of new pension legislation with the
Basic Law of the country
This information excludes from the labour term the years of study and
years spent by a woman nursing a baby.
Two hundred residents of St. Petersburg who will become pensioners in
2004 are going to appeal to the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg.
According to Rosbalt correspondent, this was announced by State Duma deputy
Sergei Popov, YABLOKO, during a press conference on Thursday. According
to Popov, “their decision is based on the fact that the Constitutional
Court of Russia has acknowledged as lawful today norms of pension legislation
that exclude from the labour term the years of study and years spent by
a woman nursing a baby. First would-be pensioners have to appeal to a
court of general jurisdiction where they will certainly get a refusal
and only then can they appeal to the Strasbourg court,” said Popov.
Popov also noted that the state had deceived its citizens, excluding in
2002 several years from the term of their labour record.
It should also be noted that in July 2003 deputies of the State Duma
forwarded to the Constitutional Court an inquiry on the compliance of
the provisions of new pension legislation with the Basic Law of the country.
The inquiry was initiated by deputies from the YABLOKO faction Igor Artemyev
and Sergei Popov. Another 115 deputies of the Duma (from the CPRF, the
Agro-Industrial group and number of deputies from Russia’s Regions)
also signed the document.
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