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Monika Barmet and Rebekka Masson were both born in 1961. With their vintage, they are the first to be affected by an increase in the retirement age. Nevertheless, they represent different positions.
Your birthday in 2025 is the deadline. The day they retire. Rebekka Masson and Monika Barmet, both born in 1961, have been able to assume that, at least so far. However, if the AHV revision is accepted in September, the date will be pushed back. Then the retirement age for women will gradually increase to 65.
The initial situation of the two women is as similar as their positions are so different. Rebekka Masson thinks that the welfare system urgently needs to be secured: “Too many AHV revisions have already failed. Mainly because the women rejected them.” It would take too long for a new bill to go through parliament, says the manager of Modell F, an association for the promotion of skilled workers.
A generation of women who did a lot of honorary and voluntary work is now affected.
Monika Barmet, nurse in the operating area, is critical of the revision. “A generation of women who have done a lot of honorary and voluntary work is now affected.” These women would hardly have benefited from extra-school childcare. “They only had small jobs and will hardly benefit from occupational pensions.” A higher retirement age would make this generation of women even worse off, believes Barmet, who represents the center of Zug’s cantonal council. Unlike her party, she rejects the revision. Barmet is a mother of three children, and for a long time only worked on call in the OR for a long time during the care phase.
Masson is independent, also has three children and looked after them himself because there were no alternatives. But she sees it differently: “My generation has fought for opportunities that none before us had.” This applies in particular to the education sector.
Templates are intended to plug the financial gap
According to the Federal Council, the AHV will need an additional CHF 18.5 billion over the next 10 years. Two proposals are intended to temporarily plug the financial gap: the amendment to the AHV law and an increase in VAT by 0.4 percentage points. Both must be accepted, otherwise the revision fails.
Parliament must ensure that the BVG revision eliminates discrimination against women and people with low wages.
While Masson has an office job, Barmet’s work in the operating room is also physically demanding. She has to stand for a long time and sometimes lift heavy material. The nurse says it gets harder as you get older. But because that also applies to men, she does not see it as a central argument against the revision. More important is the point that women still earn less.
Masson advises many women who work part-time and later can hardly count on occupational benefits, known as BVG. She sees the problem there, not with the AHV. “Parliament must ensure that the BVG revision eliminates discrimination against women and people with small jobs.”
Almost 600,000 women would have to wait for retirement
The BVG is currently being revised by Parliament. But the process has been delayed, and the Council of States will only deal with it in the autumn. That’s why Barmet thinks: “At the moment we don’t know how this process will end. We cannot draw an overall balance for the women.” The AHV revision should be postponed until everything is on the table.
With a double yes to the AHV templates, Monika Barmet and Rebekka Masson will soon have another 599,000 women waiting longer for their retirement. They belong to the nine transition years – and therefore receive a pension supplement as compensation.