February 5, Prime Minister of France Elisabeth Borne has proposed tweaking plans to reform the pension system, which would allow people who started working at a very young age to retire early. This move by Prime Minister Borne is said to be aimed at seeking support from conservative MPs in parliament for the plan. pension reform.
The administration of President Emmanuel Macron wants to increase the retirement age by two years to 64 years old as well as extend the time to pay the contributions necessary to enjoy a full pension.
Since President Macron’s “Together” coalition lost its absolute majority in the National Assembly in last year’s elections, any reform plan in parliament needs to have the backing of the conservative party. Prime Minister Les Republicains for adoption.
In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, Prime Minister Borne said workers who started working before the age of 20 would continue to be allowed to retire early, at the age of 63, under the reform plan. According to Borne, with this proposal, 30,000 workers might be retired early, and cost 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) a year.
She also said she is open to proposals from Conservative MPs if they benefit more workers.
In a response, Republicans spokesman in the French lower house of parliament Pierre-Henri Dumont said the government’s concessions were not enough to win the support of the party’s members. He said the party had proposed a measure that might benefit hundreds of thousands of workers each year.
[Thủ tướng Pháp vượt qua cuộc bỏ phiếu bất tín nhiệm đầu tiên]
Borne’s government has faced a wave of strikes across the country since it presented plans to reform the pension system on January 10. After a large-scale strike with more than 1 million workers participating on January 19, the French government has signaled that a number of measures may be adjusted, including special incentives for workers. who started working at a very young age, increased support for mothers who had to leave work to care for their children or who wished to improve their education.
However, the provision on raising the retirement age was not discussed. Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne said on January 29 that “it is not a negotiable issue right now”. Unions, meanwhile, are opposed to the proposal to raise the retirement age, calling the reform “unfair.”
The French Labor Ministry estimates that reforming the pension system will bring the country an additional 17.7 billion euros ($19.18 billion) in annual pension contributions.
However, unions say there are other ways to increase revenue, such as taxing the super-rich or asking employers or well-off pensioners to contribute more.
Phan An (VNA/Vietnam+)