Roll back women's pension age to 60

THE EDITOR, Sir:

DURING THE Dudus saga, the Government used a 'Nicodemus' strategy to make a major change in the rules governing the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

The change involved moving the pensionable age for women from 60 to 65.

Prior to this change, women would qualify for pension payments starting at age 60, while men would qualify at age 65. Yes, it is fair that equity exists, but it is the norm in the business world that you would give the participants the better of that law. Therefore, it would have been more equitable for the Government to bring down the age for men to 60 versus increasing the age of the women to 65, and then the new unified age limit would apply to persons entering the scheme after the effective date of the new rule.

Based on the new rule, women who are near pension age have to now reorganise their business plans to deal with an additional five years.

Long-term impact

For a women who would attain age 60 in 2012 because of the scaling up each year by one year, she will not qualify for her commencement of pension payments until 2017. When she started in the scheme, this was not a part of the terms and conditions of the NIS.

In addition to the increase in the qualifying age of women, the contributions to be paid into the fund have increased significantly for 'voluntary contribution' persons, domestic helpers and self-employed persons from $20 to $50 per week.

This significant change, with potentially long-term impact on persons' lives, has been implemented without any discussions with the public and there was no in-depth discussion in the Parliament, Sure, there was the tabling of Ministry paper #41 of 2010, but where was the public debate? There has been no outrage from citizens and trade unionists, except Mr Lambert Brown, from the University and Allied Workers Union, who was on the air one or two times, with a low-key objection.

If citizens, continue to allow the Government to ram these things down our throats, then we will become more autocratic and more of our freedoms and rights will be stepped on and eventually taken away. We the people have to stop this erosion.

Freedom stand

I am imploring all persons who have been affected by this change to make their voices heard. Let us call and/or write to the Government and unions (for the persons who are unionised) about this important matter, that was forced down our throats without due process. We need to put pressure on the Government and the unions for women's pension age to be rolled back to 60 for persons who were in the scheme before the new rule was imposed.

I am, etc.,

Doreen Mae Johnson

Havendale

St Andrew

If citizens, continue to allow the Government to ram these things down our throats, then they will become more autocratic and more of our freedoms and rights will be stepped on and eventually taken away. We the people have to stop this erosion.