Danish government proposes raising pension, retirement age

[The Straight Story]

Danish government proposes raising pension age

Copenhagen - The Danish government Tuesday unveiled plans to raise the retirement age and phase out an early retirement scheme in order to shore up the welfare state.

The move was necessary to ensure that Denmark could remain competitive and also to tackle a shrinking labour force, Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.

'We cannot afford to pay healthy people not to work,' he said.

The proposals - which had been mooted in recent weeks - included raising the age of eligibility for early retirement to 45, and phasing out the system by 2037.

A senior retirement programme would offer security to people who were unable to work because they were worn-out, the premier said.

The government proposal also suggested raising the retirement age from 65 to 67 by 2019.


http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/business/news/article_1614440.php/Danish-government-proposes-raising-pension-age

[villager]

1. Did the IMF get to them, too?

A "common future" mapped out for mere commoners everywhere, it seems...

[RedCloud]

2. Why not lower the working age to 12?

[pampango]

3. Not too surprising. Center-right government with Gert Wilders far-right party in the coalition.

"Helle Thorning-Schmidt, leader of the opposition Social Democrats, said the plan was 'brutal.'

The government's plan could therefore possibly feature in elections which Rasmussen must call in November at the latest."

Perhaps elections later this year will result in the defeat of the right wing government.