Vote in March – Opponent: Pension initiative is unsuitable and undemocratic – News

  • In a media conference, the No Committee presented its arguments against the Young Liberals’ pension initiative.
  • The non-partisan committee from right to left finds the initiative unsuitable and anti-social and argues that the initiative increases social inequalities in retirement age.

With the two votes, March 3, 2024 will be the focus of retirement planning. The people vote on both the initiative for the 13th AHV pension and the Young Liberals’ pension initiative. The pension initiative’s No committee now presented its arguments against the reform.

Legend:

According to the initiative, the pension initiative increases the social inequality between the qualifications of professions.

Keystone/Ennio Leanza

Represented in the non-partisan committee are the SVP, SP, Center Party, Greens, GLP and the employee umbrella organization Travailsuisse. Among other things, they criticize that the initiative is anti-social, technocratic and undemocratic, as they say in a statement.

The automatic annual adjustment of the retirement age generates uncertainty among employees and a massive administrative effort. Neither the Federal Council nor the Parliament nor the population would have a say in setting the retirement age. This determination is therefore not compatible with the democratic principles of Switzerland.

Social inequalities are increasing

According to the committee, the initiative increases social inequalities in the distribution of AHV. People with lower qualifications would have a lower life expectancy and poorer health in old age.

That’s what the pension initiative wants


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The Young Liberals want to secure the financing of the AHV with their popular initiative “For a secure and sustainable pension”. The aim is to gradually increase the retirement age for women and men until it is 66 years old. They also want to enshrine an automatic mechanism in the law that would adjust the retirement age to the average life expectancy of the Swiss population. The people will vote on the initiative on March 3, 2024.

Life expectancy should therefore not only be the deciding factor in determining the retirement age, but the number of healthy years in retirement must also play a role. It is already difficult for older people to find a new job after losing a job.

Anyone who has worked all their life has the right to retire in good health and with a high quality of life for as long as possible.

The initiative also ignores the current realities of retirement and ignores the impact on the social security system and the health of the population if one has to work at least until 66. “Anyone who has worked all their life has the right to retire in good health and with a high quality of life for as long as possible,” says Léonore Porchet, Green National Councilor and Vice President of Travailsuisse.

The pension initiative primarily affects middle-class and low-income groups without significantly improving the financing of the AHV.

Normal and low-income earners, on the other hand, will feel the effects of the pension initiative and will work longer regardless of their health status.

According to Green Liberal National Councilor Melanie Mettler, those who can afford it would still take early retirement. “Normal and low-income earners, on the other hand, will feel the effects of the pension initiative and will work longer regardless of their health,” she says. The pension initiative is therefore unfair.

The No Committee recommends rejecting the pension initiative on March 3, 2024.

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