Unrealistic and inappropriate
Ms. Bich Nguyen, Nidec Vietnam Company (High-Tech Park, Ho Chi Minh City) said that this year she is 37 years old and has worked for 16 years. Her daily job is to manage the line and directly produce with 90% of the time being standing and moving. Therefore, she felt that her job was quite hard and very difficult to last, and it was difficult for her to continue taking on this job at the age of only about 45.
"For other things, it can last until I am 55 - 60 years old, but for me, with such nature and working conditions, I think I can only continue working until I am 45 years old, but after that it is difficult to ensure. Therefore, the proposal to increase the retirement age to 65 is unrealistic and unsuitable for workers, especially those who are directly involved in production, said Ms. Nguyen.
Similarly, Mr. Doan Tran Nhiem, also an employee of Nidec Vietnam Company, said that in reality, workers aged 45 and over will have difficulty staying at the company, and if they cannot do well compared to young workers, they will quit their jobs before retirement age. Most companies do not want to accept workers over the age of 45 because of their age, health, and declining vision, while technology is increasingly high, requiring workers to quickly work hard to create good output, so the company will prioritize choosing young workers.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, an assembly worker at Always Vietnam Company (Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone), said that she is 46 years old and has been working for 28 years. According to Ms. Ngoc, most direct employees at the age of 50 are already very discouraged, so the retirement age for 60-year-old employees is too much for direct employees.
Not ensuring health for working people, losing opportunities for young workers
Ms. Phan Thi Thien - Chairwoman of the Long Cuong Company Trade Union - said that since the age of 18, the labor force is no longer guaranteed, especially for workers directly involved in production. In fact, with the current working conditions, salaries, and income, many workers hope to retire early. If the retirement age is raised to 65, it will not only not ensure the health of workers, but also lose opportunities for young workers who have just graduated.
"For highly qualified workers such as professors, doctors, and scientific researchers who do not directly work with their limbs and feet, and are in good health, they should be encouraged to extend their retirement age to take advantage of their intelligence," Ms. Thien suggested.
Similarly, Mr. Luu Kim Hong - Chairman of the Trade Union of Nidec Vietnam Company - said that in reality, there are many jobs and occupations that directly consume the health of employees. If the retirement age is raised to 65, employees will not be healthy enough to work until then. The working conditions and living environment of Vietnamese workers face many difficulties compared to workers abroad. In addition, the health, longevity and healthy living age of Vietnamese people are still low, so raising the retirement age to 65 will cause social shock.
"The new Social Insurance Law 2024, which will take effect from July 2025, has stipulated that the retirement age under normal working conditions for men is 62 and for women is 60, and will only be valid for a few months. There are no actual statistics on how many employees are directly eligible for pension at this age, but now there are opinions suggesting raising the retirement age to 65, causing employees to lose confidence in the stability of the policy," said Mr. Luu Kim Hong.
