Many Quebecers who retire at age 60 do so because they have “given everything,” said Wednesday the president of the Quebec Federation of Labor (FTQ), Magali Picard. The latter rejects the idea of increasing to 62 the minimum age of eligibility for the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP).
Many workers leave the labor market out of obligation, underlined Mr.me Picard. “For a woman who works as a maid or in a restaurant, or for our construction people who work in extremely difficult physical conditions, it is not even a choice to retire at 60,” said she argued during a press briefing in Quebec.
A consultation began on Wednesday to study in particular the question of pushing back the minimum age of eligibility for QPP benefits. In the first scenario proposed by Retraite Québec, workers could retire at age 62, but would receive a penalty. For the second, the minimum age would be set at 65 years.
This age would be, in both options, the age required to receive a full retirement pension, as it is now. It is currently possible to take early retirement at age 60, but the amount is then reduced for life.
If the pension plan is doing well financially for the moment, it is necessary to study the criteria since Quebecers are now living and studying longer, underlined the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard. The period of accumulation of retirement income is therefore reduced, he explained.
Set aside punitive measures
For experienced workers in good health, staying in the workforce is a good idea, Magali Picard said. “That being said, why do it by obliging and penalizing the workers? »
Incentives would be preferable, continued the president of the FTQ. The latter also warned Minister Girard that the workers she represents are “extremely concerned”.
During a press scrum on Wednesday, Prime Minister François Legault pointed out that the question of increasing the minimum age of eligibility for a pension arises, in particular because of the shortage of manpower. “We have not yet answered it, we are consulting. »
Magali Picard, however, said she was worried about attending a “puppet consultation”. “We know that it is obligatory [en vertu de la loi], we have heard it many times. But is she serious? »
She also pointed out that the CAQ government, with a strong majority, was showing little interest in certain issues.
Earlier in the day, Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois each presented a motion to the National Assembly to reject the idea of increasing the minimum age of eligibility for the Quebec Pension Plan to over 60 years old. Both did not obtain consent to be debated.
Not like in France, says Legault
In recent days, demonstrations have shaken France to protest against a pension reform. The project aims to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years.
Prime Minister Legault maintained that there was no question of changing the retirement age as the French government wishes. “I know that Quebec solidaire dreams of seeing the demonstrations that we are currently seeing in France, that’s not what we’re talking about,” he said.
In the event of an increase in the minimum age for eligibility for the QPP, workers could mobilize, warned Magali Picard. “We have to be careful, the people of Quebec are capable of demonstrating their dissatisfaction to the government. »
With The Canadian Press