Pensioners’ organisations have demanded the “immediate lifting of an injustice against widowers” so that their rights are “equal for all”, regardless of the date of death of their spouse.

In a letter said to the labour ministry and the cabinet, the organisations said the state should take a “clear stance on the issue without further delay”.

In a press release on Friday, the organisations said they have demanded an “immediate meeting” with the labour minister to explain that the widowers were “not just a social but also a deeply institutional issue, as it had to do with equality, social justice and dignity”.

Currently, men whose spouses died before January 2018 are not entitled to a widower’s pension.

The organisations will be meeting on May 6 at 3.30pm to discuss developments.