MPs vote to guarantee ex-dissidents regular pensions

Communist-era dissidents are set to get average state old-age pensions even if they didn’t earlier pay sufficient contributions, following a Czech lower house vote on Tuesday evening. Those who can prove their active opposition to the previous regime will see their pensions automatically levelled up under the amendment, which must now go before the Senate.

Pre-1989 dissidents today have low pensions for reasons such as imprisonment, forced emigration or not being allowed to work in their chosen professions; many were only allowed to do menial jobs.