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Benefits August 31, 2011
Chilean Miners to Get Lifetime Pensions
August 31, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Fourteen of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground for more than three months after a mine collapse in northern Chile will get lifetime pensions.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
CNN reports Chilean first lady Cecilia Morel met with the 14 miners to deliver the news at a ceremony held in the town of Copiapo, near the site of the San Jose mine collapse. Morel said the miners will receive a monthly pension of 250,000 Chilean pesos, the equivalent of almost $540, for the rest of their lives.
According to the news report, the Chilean government chose the miners who will receive the lifetime pensions based on their health, age, and the opinion of the group of survivors, officials said.
CNN noted that in spite of becoming famous after surviving the mine collapse, life hasn’t been easy for the miners. Several are still unemployed. Others are surviving by selling fruits and vegetables on the streets of Copiapo, driving taxis or doing odd jobs. The most successful ones have gotten into public speaking, but the money and the opportunities are likely to dwindle as years go by.