Raising the retirement age, the old don't retire, why do the young move up?

Many readers expressed concern about the proposal to increase the retirement age from 55 to 60 for women and from 60 to 62 for men.

The elderly men and women of the Dong Tra village senior association, Huong Tra commune (Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh) play volleyball.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs stated the reason for this proposal is to avoid "social insurance fund bankruptcy" and Vietnam's aging population.

According to Minister - Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, raising the retirement age of workers is an inevitable trend and is being implemented by many countries.

The retirement age in our country has been regulated and maintained for a long time. Up to now, many factors have changed, including the health and life expectancy of the people being raised (over 73 years old).

Bulky staff, poor health

From a population perspective, Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu, former director of the Institute of Population and Social Issues, Hanoi National Economics University, assessed that the arguments for increasing the retirement age seem very reasonable at first, but if considered carefully, there are many issues that need to be cautious and considered.

For many years now, we have always recognized the reality of a cumbersome and ineffective payroll, in which 30% of civil servants "are fine to have, but not to have".

Thus, increasing the retirement age means continuing to nurture this group of civil servants. What is the point of extending the working age of these people, if not just a waste.

Retiring at the right age is also a way to reduce staff, reduce the cumbersomeness of the apparatus and cut down on the number of cadres who "go to work with an umbrella in the morning and come home with an umbrella in the evening".

In response to the opinion that after the age of 55 (for women) and 60 (for men), many people still have the ability to contribute, Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu said that there is no need to worry too much about the problem of wasting human resources with this level of qualifications because in an open market economy, many private units are willing to attract talented people (retired) to do jobs that require high research levels and deep expertise.

"Talented and capable people never run out of work, whether they retire or not," said Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu.

Another issue, Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu said, is that attention must be paid to the health of people entering retirement age.

“The elderly in Vietnam today are people who have experienced war and economic hardship. These realities have a significant impact on their health. In 2011, a national survey on the elderly showed that two-thirds of those over 60 years old said their health was poor or very poor,” Mr. Cu cited information.

Besides, according to Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu, in Vietnamese families and society, the role of grandparents in the family is also highly valued. When children are at their most active working age, grandparents - those who have returned to their families after retirement - are the extended arms to support the family in taking care of the house, children, etc.

“From a population perspective, I do not support extending the retirement age,” said Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu.

Increased unemployment?

Germany's central bank, the Bundesbank, has called on people to work until they are 69, sparking a fierce debate in Europe's top economy.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam (University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City) said that we should consider the actual situation, we cannot compare with developed countries because in these countries, the unemployment rate is low, there is a lot of work, so increasing the retirement age is reasonable.

“In terms of health, intelligence, and clarity of human beings, I support it. But we must carefully consider other issues, for example, is it reasonable to increase the retirement age in the current period, when the unemployment rate of young people in Vietnam is still so high? For example, if the job fund is only 10% and the elderly do not retire, how can young people have a place? Not to mention that unemployment will lead to many other social disadvantages. Vietnam has just begun to develop, so we should consider carefully, be careful not to cause more harm than good,” Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam raised the issue.

Sharing the same opinion, Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu cited unemployment rate data showing that in Vietnam, in the first three months of 2013, up to 230,000 people with college or university degrees or higher could not find jobs.

“Many people say that older people are experienced and hold high positions in agencies and units, so they do not compete with the younger generation. In my opinion, that is not the case. The labor force is like a train; if the locomotive moves, the following cars can continue. At first glance, there is no competition between young and old, but in reality, there is; as the older people get older, the younger people have more opportunities to develop. Solving the problem for retirees must also create opportunities for young people to work,” Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu analyzed.

Working 30-40 years, tired

“I only have two years left until retirement. Basically, I want to keep the regulations as the current law. Although at this age my health is still good and I have experience, I see many people who have worked for a long time at the same age showing signs of aging, fatigue and wanting to rest - said Mr. Pham Van Chinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Justice of Tien Giang province - We have worked for 30-40 years, now at retirement age we also want to give the opportunity to the young generation with capacity and qualifications”.

The opinion of lawyer Truong Dinh Cong Vinh (Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) also coincides with Mr. Chinh's opinion: "Personally, I do not support the policy of increasing the retirement age. Currently, the life expectancy of Vietnamese people is not high because the environment is affected, the quality of life is very low. Using the reason of fear of bankruptcy of the Social Insurance Fund to increase the retirement age is not convincing. That is the responsibility of the State in policy making, why force workers to bear the burden?"

Mr. Vinh expressed: "The retirement age should be kept as the old regulations, except for exceptional cases such as high-ranking leaders of the Party, State or Supreme People's Court judges as at present."

According to Tuoi Tre