Jurečka: All members of the government could want to change the pension and the previous reform

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All coalition MPs could vote to limit the old pensions in challenging professions if they have a guarantee that pension savings will be strengthened for workers in the so-called third sector. According to the plan, the employer should make mandatory contributions to it. All of the government’s pension reform would then be approved. Minister of Labor Marian Jurečka told ČTK.

MPs from TOP 09 and ODS proposed limiting the initial number of people entitled to early pension to one tenth. There was no agreement in the coalition. The leaders of the parliamentary clubs of the coalition then agreed to support the option that those who have eliminated their pension earlier should be able to save for retirement with a compulsory contribution from the employer.

“For me, the option, if it was included in the third pillar (private pension savings with an employer contribution), would help people. That would be a compromise that would allow coalition MPs to vote for it,” Jurečka said.

The coalition has 104 votes in the House of Representatives. Czech television reported on Friday that five government officials refuse to reduce their former pensions, while TOP 09, on the other hand, insists on it. But last Tuesday, the leaders of the coalition clubs agreed to support the limitation of earlier pensions and those excluded from the employers’ contribution to savings, which would allow them to retire quit earlier.

“Employer contribution will be mandatory to an individual’s special personal pension account. In principle, I think it covers the same thing. To some extent, it also gives more flexibility that can be handled by the person and perhaps those closest to them, because their amount will be their personal property. While they are within the framework of the continuous (state) pile, if a person dies, their relatives cannot handle the money,” said Jurečka.

He called the approved version “an adequate and fundamentally good solution”. According to him, the Minister of Finance Zbyněk Stanjura and the Prime Minister Petr Fiala (both ODS) should still be confirmed by the heads of the clubs.

“The majority of those who said they had a problem with voting for the change (restriction of earlier pensions) said that if the agreement was adopted in this way, I think they are willing to vote for the recommendation and for the final pension. reform”, said Jurečka.