France, pensions, protests and when I’m 64
I’m 64 at the end of October 2020 and I have no immediate plans to retire.
Perhaps that is just as well since after 10 years of Tory (& LibDem) Government my State Pension Age is now 66. Fortunately I do have a workplace final salary pension.
The Beatles wrote a song about it, but the matter has been placed in perspective by the year long ‘yellow vest’ protests in France and the more recent and continuing partial General Strike.
A central feature of the protests was around Government plans to raise the retirement age to 64. That has now been withdrawn and the age is currently set at 62.
The matter remains little reported in the UK but an extract from an FT report is below. Why the matter is so little reported is a puzzle given how keen a significant number to remain in the EU and argue that it is the best economic and political arrangement available, while an equally significant number think its not as good. The story perhaps works better for leavers than remainers (perhaps) but given the absolute fixation the media have had with the EU the lack (not btw complete absence, the BBC does cover it occasionally for example and the left media obviously do) of reports is interesting
There is food for thought about how to protect things like pension rights here anyway
Victor Mallet in Paris JANUARY 11 2020 (Financial Times)
Edouard Philippe, France’s prime minister, has withdrawn a plan to raise the official retirement age from 62 to 64 in a bid to break a deadlock with trade unions over pension reform that has crippled public transport in Paris for more than a month.
“I am ready to withdraw from the draft law the short-term measure I proposed that consisted of moving progressively after 2022 towards a balanced retirement age of 64 in 2027,” Mr Philippe wrote in a letter to unions.
He nevertheless insisted that a conference on financing France’s costly pensions system — a negotiation proposed by the CFDT — would have to agree before the end of April on a way to eliminate the deficit in the pension system by 2027. Failing that, the government would take the necessary measures by decree to ensure the system was in balance by then, he said.
Leave a Reply