The session comes a day after the Committee for Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and the Disabled confirmed dozens of amendments formed in negotiations between the government and the social partners.

The key elements of the reform bill, most notably the raising of the retirement age to 65 or 40 years of service, were endorsed in a unanimous vote on committee, while certain provisions that unions did not consent to were crossed out.

Crucially, the committee adopted a solution to adjust pensions to wages in 2013, but only up to the total amount of EUR 50m, to placate the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), which had refused to agree to a freeze on pensions next year.

The package of tax laws, also in second reading, includes a financial transactions tax, simplification of tax reporting for small businesses making less than EUR 50,000 per year, new taxation of student work and rental income, and the introduction of a public list of tax debtors.