Minister: Early retirement for tough jobs should not pertain to huge number

The minister of labour and social affairs, Marian Jurečka, says that a right under which people in demanding professions get state old-age pensions sooner should not pertain to hundreds of thousands of people. Monday’s comment came against a backdrop of reports that the government plans to raise the pension age.

The ministries of labour and health are set to revise the list of dangerous professions that qualify for earlier retirement, Mr. Jurečka said after a meeting with employers to discuss pension reform.

Trade unions say that around 400,000 workers should be included in this category.

Ministers are reportedly planning to raise the retirement age to 68 for people who are currently in their 30s.