Caroline Baudry, edited by Yanis Darras 07:44, January 10, 2023

Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne presents the pension reform this Tuesday afternoon.

Among the measures envisaged: the postponement of the legal retirement age from 62 to 64, but also the increase of the minimum pension to 1,200 euros per month, for new retirees.

A particularly interesting point for the most poorly paid professions. 

Work longer and contribute longer.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will announce this Tuesday the pension reform, desired by the Head of State Emmanuel Macron.

Unsurprisingly, the postponement of the legal retirement age will be topical, the government wishing to raise it from 62 to 64 years.

A particularly unpopular point in the population, but also with the unions.

But other measures should be presented, like a revaluation of minimum pensions to 1,200 euros.

Good news for Soumarou Souleymane, a surface technician on the verge of retirement. 

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“We are almost worn out”

Currently, the 63-year-old man cleans every day in a company in the Paris region.

"I earn 1,400 euros per month for the moment. We do not have large salaries" he quips at the microphone of Europe 1. But, he must work another four years to receive his full pension, around 900 euros per month. 

"If you have a rent of 400 or 500 euros, then it will be very difficult to live with 900 euros in retirement," he apprehends.

And for some of his colleagues, who started to contribute later, it will be necessary to continue this activity until the age of 70.

Impossible for Soumarou Souleymane: "From a certain age, you are almost worn out. You have to get up very early in the morning, you are up all day, you have to go up and down the stairs several times a day, sometimes with the weight of the garbage cans", emphasizes the surface technician. 

A breakthrough for the industry

The latter also underlines the physical stress linked to the use of certain machines, "these vibrations which remain in the body".

"We don't pass the same broom as at home," he explains.

"So yes, a pension at 1,200 euros would be good for the sector", he continues at the microphone of Europe 1. But Soumarou Souleymane calls on the State to quickly take into account the hardship of the cleaning work in the reform of the pensions, in order to prevent some of his colleagues from working too long.