La Paz, Jun 1 (EFE).- A new law was signed Friday in Bolivia that provides access to a pension to 84,000 truckers, a group of workers who play a crucial role in the economy but who have long been excluded from the pension system.
The law was signed by President Evo Morales before thousands of drivers who gathered in front of the Palace of Government in La Paz.
Morales said he was surprised by the truck drivers’ “ability to convene,” while observing the truckers filling the square during his speech from the Palace’s balcony.
The president said this was a “historic day,” adding that the long-awaited law would become “a model for Bolivia and a model for drivers in Latin America.”
The new law establishes a pension fund that will allow some 84,000 drivers – most being unionized workers – to retire and receive a pension starting at age 50.
The law sets up a system through which truckers will voluntarily contribute to their pension fund when they refuel their vehicles.