Basque Government approves early retirement plan for civil servants

The Basque Government has approved the Generational Relief and Knowledge Transfer Plan, allowing approximately 7,000 civil servants to advance their retirement by up to two years. The measure is voluntary and applies to the General Administration and its autonomous bodies. Currently, about 700 employees over the age of 63 are eligible to apply immediately.

Participants must choose between two mutually exclusive options. Option A involves a temporary daily reduction of 20 minutes in working hours combined with a subsequent period of full days off. Option B concentrates the entire benefit into full days of leave. The number of additional days off increases with the length of the advancement: for example, a two-year advancement can grant up to 248 days off.

A mandatory requirement for the program is the completion of a knowledge transfer document. This ensures that the expertise of experienced staff is identified, documented, and passed on before their departure. The plan was reached through an agreement with the unions LAB, UGT, and CCOO, though the ELA union did not sign the pact, citing insufficient content.