Labour minister against early retirement for those in more physically demanding jobs

The labour and social affairs minister Petr Nečas has said that he is against the idea of early retirement for those in jobs which are more physically demanding. The government recently drafted a bill which, as of 2030, would raise the retirement age for all Czech citizens to 65 years old. The reform has still to be approved by parliament. On Tuesday, Mr Nečas met with representatives of the miner’s union, who are pushing for the right to retire aged 55, because of the strenuous nature of their jobs. But following on from the meeting, Mr Nečas told journalists that he would make no concessions. The miner’s union is threatening protests as early as Monday, and potentially industrial action, should Mr Nečas fail to change his stance.