Pensions for Jewish Ghetto Laborers: Israel Angered By German Government

Der Spiegel ^ | March 22, 2013 – 05:42 PM | Christoph Schult

[Olog-hai]

On Thursday, the ruling parties in Germany’s parliament blocked a measure to resolve the amount German pension funds must pay to former laborers in Nazi-era ghettos. Israeli officials are incensed and have promised to increase pressure. …

The debate stems from a 2002 Bundestag law that promised to quickly make it possible for Jews who once worked in ghettos to draw a modest pension from Germany. Initially, state pension fund providers rejected roughly 90 percent of applications for this pension. Officials often disputed that the former ghetto residents had worked “voluntarily” and received some form of “remuneration” for their work, which were two conditions stipulated by the German Pensions for Work in Ghettos law (ZRBG).

In 2009, Germany’s Federal Social Court put an end to this exceedingly strict interpretation of the law. But the relief of ghetto survivors was short-lived. Instead of granting the plaintiff’s full pension retroactive to 1997, as the law stipulated, the court ruled that he would only be granted a pension retroactively for the last four years. The German pension fund had invoked a passage in German social law stating that remuneration for an erroneous ruling is only paid retroactively for a maximum of four years. …

[autumnraine]

Germany, I’d say take the hit on this. You will not win. If you keep the pension from true workers (for what, a couple years?) you will never win the hearts and minds of the people.

Plus, that’s just an jerky move.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Olog-hai.

...the ruling parties in Germany’s parliament blocked a measure to resolve the amount German pension funds must pay to former laborers in Nazi-era ghettos... a 2002 Bundestag law... state pension fund providers rejected roughly 90 percent of applications for this pension... disputed that the [slave labor] had worked “voluntarily” and received some form of “remuneration” for their work, which were two conditions stipulated...

IOW, keep an eye on the Zero administration, this article pertains to an ongoing controversy in Germany, but will either be used as a distraction, or was intended to draw attention away from Zero's Liquidation Field Trip.