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Attack on civil service perks
Civil servants retire on average three years before private sector workers.
Contribuables Associés, an association representing taxpayers’ interests, say they are pleased to see civil servants’ perks being addressed.
These include such benefits as:
- A pension based on a percentage of the last six months’ pay – often boosted by salaries being increased in the last few months (in the private sector the amount is based on an average of the “best 25 years”).
-A guaranteed minimum pension at age 60 – even if they have not paid a full number of years’ contributions.
-30% of civil servants, those in jobs considered risky and physical, can retire aged 50-55.
-Early retirement for parents of at least three children who have at least 15 years of service.
-Pension contributions at 7.85% of salary as opposed to 10.55%.
Changes proposed include abolishing the three children rule, equalising the contribution percentage, abolishing the earlier age for the guaranteed minimum pension and raising the retirement age to 62, with the aim of aligning the rules with those of the private sector in about 10 years.
Those in “active” jobs would still retire earlier but two years later than now, eg a police officer would retire at 52 instead of 50.
Contribuables Associés spokeswoman Jeanne Pavard said: “Civil servants retire on average three years before private sector workers.
“It’s unfair, so we’re satisfied if we are finally getting towards equality between the public and private sectors, even if it is phased in over quite a few years.”
She added however the group believes putting up the retirement age was not the best solution.
She said it would make more sense for pensions to be based on what individuals paid in, as opposed to the current system in which current workers’ contributions are paying the pensions of those who are retired.
“People are living longer and longer and it’s hard to share out money from the workers to the retirees according to a system which dates from 1940. Our suggestion might involve less solidarity, but we think it’s more logical and would cost taxpayers less,” she said.
