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Berlin (dpa) - When it comes to retirement, people in Germany are facing a year of decisions and heated debates.
For the Bundestag election campaign, a dispute is looming over whether employees should stay in their jobs longer until they retire.
Before that, the government wants to be specific with a law that obliges the self-employed to secure a pension.
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) already told the German Press Agency in December that his ministry was working flat out to include the self-employed in old-age provision.
What's next on these big pension issues?
On the way to retirement at 67, the regular age limit will rise slightly in 2021 to 65 years and 10 months.
But what happens if life expectancy continues to rise on average?
Before Christmas, a move from the CDU caused a stir, which the authors want to be understood as the basis for a major pension reform in the coming election period.
The CDU Committee on Social Security and the World of Work demands, among other things, that people should in future spend some of the time they have gained in gainful employment.
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WORK LONGER:
"We should all be honest about this issue," said employer president Rainer Dulger now the dpa.
“If our life expectancy continues to rise, our working life must inevitably also increase,” says Dulger.
"In the coming years the" baby boomer "generation will retire and the pressure on our social security systems will increase due to this demographic change."
The member of the Council of Economic Wise Men, Monika Schnitzer, argues similarly in the “Handelsblatt” (Monday).
The trade unions, however, oppose a link between the retirement age and life expectancy.
"That would be the completely wrong way," said Verdi boss Frank Werneke of the dpa.
The pension debate would be depoliticized.
"The retirement age would no longer be set politically by parliament, but the decision would, so to speak, be passed on to the Federal Statistical Office."
ALTERNATIVES TO LONGER WORK:
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It is eagerly awaited which course the Union will take in the election campaign.
Before the last federal election, the CDU / CSU did not make any clear statements about retirement age.
Is the Union now adopting the positions of the CDU Social Committee on increasing life expectancy?
A pension commission set up by the government disagreed last year as to whether the retirement age should be raised any further.
The commission only recommended that experts should recommend something on this in 2026.
In any case, people should have additional old-age insurance with private and company pension schemes.
Werneke sees more tax money for the pension system in the future: “In the middle of the pandemic, the Bundestag decided to buy 23 Eurofighters for 5.5 billion euros.
This money would be much better invested in stabilizing the pension system. "
In this way, the pension level could be maintained and increased beyond the previously set mark of 48 percent until 2025.
Dulger thinks "nothing" of using debt to finance pension challenges.
PENSION AS AN ELECTION TOPIC:
"Depending on the election result in September 2021, there will be decisions on the direction that will affect an entire generation," says Werneke.
"I therefore expect the parties to make their noticeably different ideas about pensions clear and the subject of the election campaign."
The German pension insurance is also prepared for this.
"The subject of pensions will probably become an election issue because it moves people a lot," said President Gundula Roßbach of the dpa.
"The topic should be discussed in real terms and in a realistic manner."
Rossbach announced that the pension insurance would bring their expertise into the discussion.
"We always have to look: How can we keep the burden between contributors, taxpayers and then also pensioners, who are always involved in economic development through pension adjustments, in a good balance?"
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INCLUDING THE SELF-EMPLOYED IN THE PENSION:
Pension President Roßbach encourages the government in the plan to present something here: "We would be happy if there would be a first premium."
The pandemic also shows that there are some groups among the self-employed whose safeguards should be paid more attention to.
Service union boss Werneke says that in the Corona crisis it became abundantly clear that self-employed people lack social protection.
"This applies to unemployment insurance, but also to pension insurance."
COMPULSORY INSURANCE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE:
The Union and SPD had already announced in the coalition agreement that the self-employed should be able to choose between a statutory pension and other types of provision.
It has also already leaked: First of all, younger people should be obliged to protect themselves.
First of all, it was said that the obligation should apply if you are under 45 years of age.
Most recently it was said that under-35-year-olds could be affected.
Roßbach says: "If the legislature now begins to involve the younger generation, as is currently being discussed, they would have the prospect of being able to acquire appropriate entitlements in the course of their working lives."
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210104-99-889332 / 4
Communication from the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs with links to current reports
Pension insurance press area
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Coalition agreement p. 92/93
CDU Federal Social Affairs Committee with links to pension paper
Changes in the pension insurance as of January 1st
Meeting of the Pension Representative Assembly 2.12.
Report on the obligation to provide for self-employed persons
Federal Ministry of Labor on the pension
Report of the Pension Commission 2020