Schumann: “How should women work until the age of 65 in the future? Physical strain in many occupations makes it impossible to work until the age of 60.
Vienna (OTS) – A gradual increase in the statutory retirement age for women will take effect from January 1, 2024. By 2033, the standard retirement age for women born after June 30, 1968 will be raised to 65. “Even though an increase in the retirement age is just around the corner, the government notices and ignores the fact that one in three women has not already retired from work,” says Corinna Schumann, vice president of the ÖGB and federal women's chair. . He criticizes the lack of information and emphasizes: “How can women work until 65, when in many professions physical discomfort does not allow them to work until 60.”
Schumann refers to the 2022 Working Climate Index, where a third of women surveyed said they were not informed about changes to the retirement age. Even among those directly affected, 50, 13 percent said they had no idea about the upcoming changes, and another 13 percent didn't know if they had heard about them.
“Believing that women can work in care or manufacturing until age 65 is an illusion. “Employers need to act,” Schumann says, and calls for age-friendly working conditions in this environment, including company health benefits, age-friendly working time models, modified work structures and Schumann also emphasizes the need for better training opportunities for older workers, which can be achieved by reducing negative stereotypes of older people.
However, not only employers but also politicians and legislators are needed. A central demand of the ÖGB is the reintroduction of the bonus-malus system for companies. The system allows companies that hire older workers above the average to receive a bonus, while companies that hire below the industry average must pay a penalty. Further demands of the ÖGB include the promotion of employment through a legal right to partial retirement and care benefits for older workers, the expansion of comprehensive, non-contributory and high-quality children's educational institutions from the child's first birthday, and corresponding measures. Combating long-term and aging unemployment, including innovative forms of reducing working hours. “We need to expand hard-work pensions,” Schumann said.
“No challenge solves itself. Everything that the black-green coalition does not implement now will be passed on to the next government,” says Schumann, criticizing the lack of answers to women's policy. On the other hand, it is not surprising that the federal government is benefiting from its own inaction. Because from 2033, if women work until the age of 60 or 65, they will have grandchildren who need care. Or there will be no one to care for relatives. After all, grandmothers often take care of children because there are no alternatives. “The government doesn't have to provide adequate childcare or care,” concludes Schumann.
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Martin Mandel
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