HAVANA, Cuba (CMC) – The National Institute of Social Security (INASS) is carrying out a centralised process of granting pensions, in a quick way, for all the affected workers and relatives of the victims of the accident at the Saratoga Hotel, without distinction of pension rights.

According to the general director of the INASS, Virginia Marlen Garcia Reyes, the process will have the exceptionality of the law for the granting of extraordinary pensions, taking into account that not all the relatives of the deceased are eligible for pensions on a regular basis.

“We intend to protect all the affected families without distinction, due to the transcendence and painful repercussion of the accident,” she said.

“A survey is being carried out in order to determine the calculation of the definitive pension based on the salary of each worker,” said Garcia Reyes, who added that the affected areas will also be visited in order to interview the family members.

“If all the information is gathered quickly, it is expected that those affected and their families will receive the definitive pension by June,” she continued.

While this procedure is being carried out, specialists from the municipal branches of INASS will protect the affected workers through the payment of a provisional pension, which consists of 100 per cent of the affected worker’s salary.

The INASS management is working along with the Gaviota group to reconstruct the labour file of the injured workers, as well as taking measures aimed at guaranteeing the relocation of the affected workers and their families in search of employment.

According to the INASS, in case of destruction of the deceased’s employment file, an exceptional procedure will be carried out in order to immediately protect the family members.