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If the BVG conversion rate is reduced, this leads to lower pensions. The Council of States discussed and voted on it.
The reform of the 2nd pillar is a dry and complex topic. But it affects us all. Because the amount of the conversion rate determines how high the pensions are. So if the conversion rate is to be lowered from 6.8 percent to 6 percent, this will lead to lower pensions; and that has to be compensated.
Federal Councilor Alain Berset stated that compensation is at the heart of the reform. In his plea, he took a hard stance on the members of the Council of States. The Federal Council presented a proposal a long time ago, but Parliament simply ignored it. Although this is the only proposal where all insured persons received compensation.
All that remains for Berset is a tired smile
But that’s not all. While the National Council decided on a proposal in which people with low wages and pensions would have to accept pension losses, the proposal from the Council of States was better. But Berset only had a tired smile for that.
The Council of States wants to pay people of a transitional generation of 15 years of age compensation. But, said Berset, although people with low pensions receive compensation, overall half of the pensioners of the transitional generation go away empty-handed. All those who retired afterwards would also have lower pensions. That’s just shabby. According to Berset, he could not imagine how a referendum could be won with this.
Council of States follows advisory commission
The bourgeois majority of the Council of States followed the proposal of their preliminary advisory commission. The bourgeois majority also knows that they have to do something for people with low incomes and part-time workers if they lower the conversion rate.
That is why the Uri FDP Council of States Joseph Dittli emphasized: “These people often have little pension capital and will therefore have to draw a low pension from the BVG.” This is where it needs to start. “That’s exactly what the compensation model of the majority does.”
But that even with these compensations, half of the transitional generation will not receive any compensation, and that everyone who retires after the 15-year transitional period will go away empty-handed one way or the other and will have a lower pension, to which the bourgeois politicians gave no answer today.
It will be difficult to come up with a template that will also have a chance in front of the people. Because, as the statement by the St. Gallen SP Council of States Paul Rechsteiner showed, the left is slowly but surely moving towards fundamental opposition to a reform of the second pillar.
With such compensation, a reduction in the conversion rate would no longer be accepted, Rechsteiner emphasized: “The basis for the decision on the conversion rate, for a decision on this cardinal question of revision, is no longer applicable. So the consequence is that you should do without it.”
The right-wing side, tradesmen and farmers, are also registering increased resistance. They do not resist the compensation measures; but against another part of the reform that leads to additional costs for low-wage industries.
This pincer attack from right and left is a bad prerequisite for a reform of the second pillar. It will be interesting to see whether the National Councilors will find a more workable compromise.