In China, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference opens on Monday March 4 in Beijing: it is the kick-off of the annual parliamentary session, with the opening of the National People’s Congress on Tuesday. Among the topics of discussion, the legislature will debate the postponement of the retirement age to 65 years. A measure that many have not heard of and to which many are opposed.
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With our correspondents in Beijing, Stéphane Lagarde & Chi Xiangyuan
Near the rides in Rita Park, Beijing, ancient take care of the little ones. Most of them have not heard of this discussion around raising the retirement age to 65, which is being discussed in the official media. “ For the meeting of the two assemblies, the subject will be hot again, Write the China Business News. But this year things seem to be becoming clearer and the retirement age of 65 could be the final adjustment “.
This eventuality is unthinkable for this employee responsible for maintaining the paths: “ 65 years old is just unthinkable for women. At the limit for men, perhaps. But for women, it’s no. Even at 55! No one would understand that. We work standing up, it’s tiring. »
His words illustrate the revolt of “ paid standing », who take a very dim view of the idea of working longer: the legal retirement age in China is 60 for men, 55 for female executives and 50 for female workers.
But a large part of the most precarious, and in particular migrants, are forced to continue to work after these age limits. So 65 years old? Not even in a dream, confides this saleswoman from a mini-market next to the park: “ At work, we spend our days on our feet! Postponing the retirement age under these conditions is not possible. It’s not like office people who spend their days on an armchair. Their job is easy unlike ours. »
Managers under pressure
If the retirement age has not been raised in an aging China, it is because the measure is extremely unpopular, underlines Nis Grünberg, of the Mercator Institute of Chinese Studies (Mérics), who thinks that the Chinese officials are under more pressure on the issue and could therefore legislate on the subject.
According to this expert, the reform will probably require steps: “ This could be a measure taken in parallel to those which introduced parental leave. A leave not to take care of children, but to take care of one’s parents. It is also possible that this will be done in stages. One more year from this year for example, then one more year in two years… in order to soften the shock. »
Average life expectancy in China has increased from 43.7 years in 1960, the year the Chinese pension system was established, to almost 78 years today.
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