Formentera supports hitching pensions to upturns in RPI

Today, council members met for the administration's March plenary session. The gathering was marked by cross-party support for a set of guidelines giving structure and substance to joint action between the Formentera Council and the local cultural audiovisual association. The framework concerns production of content for the island's public radio station, Ràdio Illa, an independent, public and high-quality source of news about current events and activities organised locally.

Other proposed measures
Members of the assembly gave their approval to a Gent per Formentera (GxF) measure to urge the central government to contemplate tweaking pensions based on rising retail price indices. The PP abstained from the vote.

One measure from the PSOE to get the go-ahead called for repealing the so-called “Montoro Bill”, allowing local administrations to invest their surplus and hire new staff. “Yes” votes came from GxF, PSOE and Compromís council members while PP reps abstained.

Yearly review
Closing out the day's session, social welfare secretary Vanessa Parellada took the floor to review her department's action in 2017. She highlighted her office's commitment to families and underprivileged populations with initiatives:
providing support for the elderly and dependent individuals; protecting minors; developing new youth-positive policy; giving visibility and integrating people with disabilities; promoting equality. She underscored the Office of Social Welfare's renewed commitment to things like lifelong learning, employment and support towards integration for new arrivals to the island.

As for human resources, Parellada described her department's current phase of work as one of consolidation. The secretary said this meant continuing work with unions to regulate and cement local control over new positions within the Council, plus posting details about the jobs to the administration's website. Parellada also spoke about investment in new facilities. One building now under construction is the island's tanatori, or funeral home. Another, an assisted living residence, is currently up for tender.