Skopje, 3 December 2024 (MIA) - The Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) has voiced concern over the proposal by the Fiscal Council for an increase of the retirement age to 67 years.

SSM president Slobodan Trendafilov tells MIA that pension reforms in serious countries result from comprehensive analyses, considering the state of the society and economy, challenges of providing care and security for majority of the population.

"We have seen such frivolous proposals in the past, coming from people not from the ranks of the workers, to the detriment of workers. We note that such hasty measures for increase of the contribution rate or the retirement age only for the purpose of covering the Pension (and Disability Insurance) Fund deficit have never produced results in the long run. On the contrary, structural problems remain unresolved and problems repeat," says Trendafilov.

According to him, serious policies and measures are needed to increase youth employment in real and sustainable jobs in domestic and foreign companies, as well as higher wages, leading to better input in the Fund and lower poverty rates.

"We need to define several retirement criteria, such as 40 years of experience for men and 35 years for women, early retirement, accelerated retirement for construction workers and other sectors where job tasks have a severe impact on the workers' life and health etc," says Trendafilov.

The Fiscal Council has proposed raising the retirement age for both men and women to 67 as of 2026, as well as increasing the rate of pension insurance contributions by 0.7 percent to 19.5 percent, as part of its recommendations for the 2025-2029 Fiscal Strategy. The Fiscal Council, which is an independent body that drafts analyses and opinions on macroeconomic and financial policies in the country, stressed that the measures are necessary to maintain the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, reduce fiscal risks and consolidate the budget in the midterm.

MIA file photo