On the second day of EFFAT’s Executive Committee, the EFFAT leadership showed their collective support for Irish affiliate, SIPTU, in their ongoing campaign ‘STOP 67’ to prevent planned pension increases.
Ireland’s pension age is already 2 years above the EU average (66 compared with 64) and under government plans is expected to rise to 68 within the next decade. All this while Ireland has, in percentage of population terms, fewer old people than the EU average. The evident illogicality needs no explanation.
Implemented without significant consultation, the proposed pension age increases would harm the living standards of pensioners: combined with an overall reduction in pension income of 15%-20% over a person’s lifetime in retirement, the changes will intensify the problem of people – forced to retire aged 65 or earlier – already being obliged to seek less advantageous unemployment benefits in lieu of a pension.
What’s more, the budgetary savings offered up as the expedient political rationale for raising the pension age would be negligible.
EFFAT stands with our SIPTU colleagues in opposing these changes which will most hurt ordinary working people.
Follow #Stop67 on social media and check out the SIPTU campaign explainer for more information.
#StrongerEFFAT
