The Danish parliament has passed a bill to extend the retirement age from the current 67 to 70 by 2040. The Danish government explained that it is a plan for sustainable welfare, but labor circles are protesting.
According to the BBC and CNN on Sunday, Denmark’s parliament approved the proposed retirement age increase with 81 votes in favor and 21 against on the previous day. Denmark has been implementing a system since 2006 that links life expectancy with retirement age and adjusts it every five years. Currently, life expectancy in Denmark is 81.7 years and retirement age is 67.
The bill calls for raising the retirement age to 68 in 2030, 69 in 2035, and 70 in 2040. The retirement age of 70 is the highest in Europe and applies from those born in 1971.
Denmark’s Minister of Employment and Labor explained, “We need to extend the retirement age to provide adequate welfare to future generations.” Denmark has about 6 million people, of which about 713,000 are aged 60 to 69, and about 580,000 are aged 70 to 79.
The F&P of Denmark’s Insurance and Pension Fund Trade Association said, “Recently, 80,000 people work beyond the pension age,” adding, “This is because the economic situation is good and workers have a growing desire to work longer.”
However, there are voices of protest among blue-collar workers who are physically demanding. “We work and we work and we work, but we can’t continue to do that,” roof mechanic Thomas Jensen told public broadcaster DR. “I have paid taxes for the rest of my life. I should also have time to spend with my children and grandchildren.”
Denmark has the highest retirement age in the European Union (EU), despite its strong economy, said Yesper Etruff Rasmussen, chairman of the Danish Federation of Trade Unions. “The delay in retirement age means that people lose their right to live a dignified old age.”
Sweden, Denmark’s next-door neighbor, is eligible for pensions from the age of 63. In France, when Emmanuel Macron’s government raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, massive protests took place across the country.
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
