Most people want to reduce the retirement age to 55 years old for women and 60 years old for men as before.
Ms. Pham Thi Nhung (41 years old) - a garment worker in Nam Dinh said that although the company really needs workers, if they cannot meet the job requirements because of their old age, the company is ready to let them go.
“Our sewing job requires us to be agile and have sharp eyes to be able to do the job. When we get old, our eyes become dim, our hands become slow, and we produce less, the company will encourage workers to quit their jobs,” said Ms. Nhung.
The concept of old age in Ms. Nhung's mind usually starts at 45 years old. The company will review the output of products for 3 consecutive months, change the process and product code for workers to check. If the worker does not have a month that reaches over 5 million VND, the company will fire them.
According to Ms. Nhung, each worker on the sewing line has a close relationship with each other. If one person is slow, it will cause others to be slow, leading to the whole production line being affected.
Besides, working since the age of 28, Ms. Nhung said that up to now, she has suffered from many occupational diseases such as dry cough due to inhaling fabric dust and back pain due to having to sit hunched over every day at work.
The female worker shared that at the age of 45, she also started to consider changing jobs. If she is unfortunately unemployed or works in a low-income job, Ms. Nhung just hopes to retire early to enjoy her old age. The female worker's wish is to retire at the age of 55.
“Every year we retire early, the less we worry. Even though we still have to work, having an early pension will give us peace of mind for daily expenses, without having to rely on our children,” said Ms. Nhung.
For Ms. Pham Thi Toan (49 years old) - a leather shoe worker in Nam Dinh, every time the company encounters difficulties or reduces labor, she feels worried.
“When a company has little work or wants to hire younger workers, people over 50 are the first to be on the list of people who have been laid off. People under 50 with poor skills are also eliminated,” said Ms. Toan.
Ms. Toan’s current job requires her to work day and night, which has seriously affected her health. Her plan is to work for another 1 to 2 years, then quit her job, pay voluntary social insurance to receive a pension later.
“I hope to reduce the retirement age to 55. That way, when I retire at 51, I only have to wait 4 more years to receive my pension. According to current regulations, I have to wait until I am 60 to retire,” said Ms. Toan.
Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Pham Thi Dan (33 years old) - a garment worker in Nam Dinh also hopes to retire early. According to Ms. Dan, sewing is not only a toxic job but also a selective job because people with old age are more likely to make mistakes and have accidents while working.
“When eyesight is dim, sewing lines are easily misaligned, leading to poor productivity and even needle pricks, which is very unsafe,” said Ms. Dan.
Besides, according to Ms. Dan, she spends more time at the company than at home. Every day she works at the company at least 12 hours, and sometimes up to 13 hours when the company needs to ship goods urgently.
“After 10 years of working as a factory worker, I have missed out on many opportunities to meet, socialize, and enjoy relationships and joys in life. Although I am only in my 30s, I feel quite sad every time I receive my salary. I hope to retire early at the age of 55 to regain my health and have more time for my personal life,” said Ms. Dan.
In addition, female workers also hope that next year the regional minimum wage can increase by at least 6%. The purpose is to ensure that income is not affected too much when taking sick leave as well as to enjoy insurance benefits later.
