January 2020

Chile’s Pinera proposes reform of pension system that has fueled protests

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said on Wednesday that he will send a bill to Congress this week to reform the country’s pension system, which leaves many retirees living in poverty and has been one of the main complaints of protesters in months of demonstrations. Read Also Piñera’s proposal fuels debate on low pensions in Chile In a radio and television broadcast, Pinera said he will propose a 6% increase in the pension contribution per worker. Chile’s pension system is a...

Ghana. Approval for SSNIT pension reforms expected shortly

Discussions and consultations concerning a proposal put forward by the external Actuaries on the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) scheme who recommended a 19.2 percent contribution rate to replace the existing 11 percent rate being implemented are expected to be concluded early this year. The move is part of a number of amendments and reforms that are being considered for implementation in the National Pension Act, 2008 (Act 766) by sector Administrators – National Pension Regulatory Authority...

Strike against pension reform not to have severe impact on French economy: minister

Rolling train and metro stoppages and nationwide street rallies would not pose serious challenge to France's economy which has preserved its attractiveness despite a social tense climate, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday. Asked by CNews television whether growth of the eurozone's second key powerhouse would be affected by unions' industrial action to oppose a pension overhaul, Le Maire said: "I don't think the strike will cost France dear." "I don't think that it...

France. French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions

A crippling French transport strike dragged into its 39th day on Sunday despite the government’s offer to withdraw the most contested measure of the pension reform plans that sparked the protest. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Saturday he would drop plans to increase the official retirement age to 64 from 62 in an effort to end a strike which has paralyzed Paris and its suburbs, with bus, train and metro services all badly disrupted. “I am willing to withdraw...

Macron Scraps Proposal to Raise Retirement Age in France

Faced with an unrelenting protest over proposed changes in France’s generous pension system, officials withdraw a move to raise the full-benefit retirement age to 64 from the present 62. Read Also France. French transport strike drags on despite government compromise on pensions With tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators once again coursing through the streets of Paris and other cities and clouds of tear gas and smashed store windows punctuating the urban landscape, the French government made a major concession on...

Nationwide protest in France over pensions as talks continue

Rail workers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and others joined a nationwide day of protests and strikes Thursday to denounce French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to overhaul the pension system. As the government and unions pushed on with crucial negotiations about the changes, street protests were staged in Paris and other French cities, with railway strikes entering their sixth week. Read Also Critical week in frances pension reform protests The Eiffel Tower was shut as employees joined the protest movement. Paris metro traffic was...

French pension talks resume as govt seeks to end standoff

French officials prepared to restart talks with unions Tuesday over a pension overhaul that has sparked the country's longest transport strikes in decades, which labour leaders say could force millions of people to retire later than they thought. Public support appears to be shifting in the government's favour, with just 44 percent backing the strike in an Ifop poll released Sunday, down seven points from the previous survey on December 19-20. The reform would eliminate 42 separate pension schemes...

Critical week in France’s pension reform protests

The month-long stand-off between the government and France's striking transport workers has entered a critical week, with talks set to resume on Tuesday, and further national protests in store. The first Council of Ministers' meeting was taking place on Monday, as commuters braced for a difficult return to work after the Christmas break. The ongoing pension reform protests are certain to top the agenda, with strike calls launched on Monday by nurses and physiotherapists' unions. An Air France pilots...

Social Security and Pension Reform: International Perspectives

By Marek Szczepanski, John A. Turner Countries around the world are reforming their social security and pension systems. International studies often focus on social security reforms in Europe and North America, and may include Latin America. Reforms, however, are also occurring in Asia and Africa, and include reforms of voluntary and employer-provided pensions as well as social security programs. This book discusses both social security and employer-provided pension reforms, as well as reforms in most regions of the world....

On Day 29, French rail strike makes history

A labour walkout that has frustrated Paris commuters and marooned thousands of holiday travellers in France dragged into its 29th day on Thursday, becoming the country's longest continuous railway strike with no end in sight. The standoff over the government's plan to merge 42 pension schemes into a single, points-based system has seen workers at the state-owned SNCF railway company and Paris' RATP public transport operator down tools since December 5. Hundreds of thousands of strikers and their supporters...