Madrid, Jan 30 (Inditop.com/EFE) The Spanish government has approved a draft bill that will increase the retirement age from 65 to 67 years. The move is strongly opposed by the country’s labour unions.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega after a weekly Cabinet meeting told reporters Friday, the new retirement age would be introduced in phases beginning in 2013 and becoming fully effective in 2025.
The announcement came hours after the National Statistics Institute said Spain’s unemployment rate last month reached 18.83 percent, which represents more than 4.3 million people.
Seizing on the latest jobless figures, the conservative main opposition Popular Party called the initiative an attempt to distract the attention of people from the issue of rising unemployment.
The proposed change “will not affect current pensions”, the minister said.
Government demographers forecast that the number of Spaniards over the age of 64 will double over the next 40 years, constituting nearly 32 percent of the total population.
By 2049, the ratio of workers to retirees and minors will be 10 to nine.
She said the government’s bill would be reviewed by the parliamentary committee. “We will seek the maximum consensus” on the measure.
