SOCIAL SECURITY
Vladimir Putin softens pension reform amid backlash
In a rare televised address, Putin suggested raising the state pension age by five years to 60 years for women, instead of the earlier proposed eight-year hike to 63
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a series of measures to soften a deeply unpopular pension reform, in an apparent attempt to stem a fall in his approval ratings. In a rare televised address, Putin suggested raising the state pension age by five years to 60 years for women, instead of the earlier proposed eight-year hike to 63, among other measures. "The treatment of women in our country is special, gentle," Putin said in the speech. The proposed retirement-age hike for men — by five years to 65 — will remain unchanged. The Russian leader, 65, also suggested early retirement for mothers with large families. And he said companies that fire or refuse to hire employees because they are nearing pension age should face administrative or criminal liability. The proposed reform — already approved by parliament’s lower house in a first reading in July — has led to a rare outburst of public anger, with tens of thousands rallying across Russia in recent weeks. Putin had sought to ...
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