Employees work at an apparel firm in this file photo. The National Assembly Standing Committee will discuss a proposal to raise the retirement age in 2021 on May 8

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs previously, in a draft revision of the Labor Code, proposed two options for adjusting the retirement age.

Under the first option, the retirement age would be 60 years and three months for men and 55 years and four months for women, starting from 2021.

In the following years, three months will be added annually for men and four months for women until they reach 62 and 60 years old, respectively.

Under the second option, the retirement age would be 60 years plus four months for men and 55 years plus six months for women.

After that, four months will be added for men and six months for women every year until they reach 62 and 60, respectively.

Also, according to the draft law, laborers are allowed to take early retirement, at a maximum of five years earlier than the usual retirement age, if they have health problems, have to work in a laborious and
noxious environment or work in particular professions.

Highly skilled employees and managers can also retire later than the regulated age but not by more than five years.

Aside from the retirement age, two options for adjustments to working hours at State agencies will be under discussion at the meeting.

The ministry in the first option suggested State employees start working from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a one-hour break for lunch, excluding agencies that have to be on duty 24/7.

The working hours under the second option will remain unchanged and will be regulated by administrative policies. SGT