Oswaldo Martín, a 75-year-old Argentine residing in Almería, Spain, receives a monthly pension of approximately 900 euros, an amount he considers insufficient given the effort made during his professional life. The former baker worked for 22 years in Spain, with remuneration of around 1,500 euros per month, and believes the retirement amount should be between 2,000 and 2,500 euros.
During his activity as a baker, work began around 00:30 or one in the morning, with return home only near noon. Oswaldo acknowledges that the pension was calculated based on contributions made over the years, but laments the gap between the long hours worked and the income available in retirement. The former baker also states that overtime hours were not properly compensated.
The retiree also expresses concern about self-employed workers, saying he knows people who, after 30 or 40 years of contributions, received pensions of around 700 euros. In international comparison, he mentions that his daughter, residing in France, earns more than she would in Spain, although she faces higher expenses.
The article also notes that, in Portugal, the calculation of the old-age pension considers recorded remuneration and the duration of the contribution history, with the physical demands of the profession not determining, by itself, the amount awarded. The Labor Code establishes a normal maximum period of eight daily hours and 40 weekly hours, with overtime work subject to specific conditions and limits.
