All pensioners should be entitled to an "adequate pension", outgoing National Pensioners' Association president Albert J. Tabone said yesterday, adding that privileges awarded to certain groups of people are not acceptable,

He urged more pensioners to join the association, stressing that unless they fought for their rights there would be nobody to defend them.

Speaking at the association's annual general conference, Mr Tabone argued that an adequate pension was not one that only enabled pensioners to buy food and the bare necessities, but one that allowed them to participate in the country's social life.

Mr Tabone said that there was no capping for the pension of ex-Parliamentarians, and added that the association would in no way accept the creation of another privileged category, like the judiciary.

"There are already too many privileges. We cannot accept any more," he said. He pointed out that what was not adequate for politicians was neither adequate for other pensioners. He said that a former minister's annual pension currently stood at around Lm6,000, while other pensioners received around Lm4,000.

"I was under the impression that privileges had ended with the French revolution, but I was mistaken," he said.

Mr Tabone said that although until the 1998 election the association had been assured of improvements in the pension system, everything changed afterwards when politicians started to talk about the need to change the current "welfare state" into a "welfare society".

A motion approved by the association members said a number of changes in the proposed revised pension plan - including the increase of pension age and changes in pension computation - would have a negative effect on current contributors.

The association said in the motion that it would insist that the revision of pensions was fair and did not affect the rights and expectations of today's pensioners and contributors.

The motion said any new scheme should ensure that any first pillar contributory pension was adequately linked to the latest salary or income of contributors, which increases annually to reflect inflation and also increases every five years to reflect changes in income. A pension should always be such that it allows those who receive it to live a decent life, which is not of inferior quality to pre-retirement life.

A copy of the motion is to be sent to President Eddie Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Opposition leader Alfred Sant, Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina, the media and AGE, the European elderly platform.

Yesterday's conference also approved the new council members, who will meet on Friday to determine designations. The post of president is vacant after Mr Tabone decided not to contest again after 13 years as president.

He will now occupy a post on the council.