Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The retirement age for male and female workerscould increase from 60 and 55 at present to 62 and 60 respectively from 2021,according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

At a meeting on November 19 to discuss new-generation free trade agreements(FTAs) co-hosted by MOLISA and the International Labour Organisation, Nguyen VanBinh, deputy head of the ministry’s Department of Legislation, said somecontents in Vietnam’s Labour Code would be adjusted to fit the provisions ofnew generation FTAs.

These regulations touch upon the difference between the retirement ages of menand women, disability employment and occupations in which female employment isprohibited.

According to the current law, female workers can retire five years before theirmale peers.

Binh said applying the new retirement ages immediately could cause problems forpeople who were preparing for retirement.

Under one plan, the retirement age would add six months at a time until itreached the targets set by the Government.

For instance, if a man retires in 2020, the retirement age would be 60.However, if he retires in 2021, the retirement age would be 60 years and sixmonths.  If he retires in 2022, theretirement age would be 61 and so on.

The change is aimed at balancing the pension fund and the benefit fund forpeople with disabilities.

These funds were forecast to run dry if the current retirement age was keptunchanged.

“Regulations in the Labour Code draft revision also focus on protecting femaleworkers during maternity leave,” Binh said.

The draft revision is set to be presented to the National Assembly in May 2019and be submitted for approval in October 2019. 

New generation FTAs include non-trade provisions related to labour, theenvironment, sustainable development commitment and good management.

The FTAs include the Vietnam-European Free Trade Agreement (Vietnam-EU FTA) andthe Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP).

Vietnam officially became the seventh member of the CPTPP on November 12.

Nguyen Van Giau, the NA’s external relations committee chairman, said that byapproving the agreement, Vietnam had shown willing and ability to integratewith the international community, respond to the developments of the globaleconomy, and progress with other free trade agreements.

The CPTPP agreement was signed by Vietnam and ten other economies in theAsia-Pacific region last March in Chile after the US withdrew from theTrans-Pacific Partnership in 2017.

Up to 98 percent of tariff lines will be lifted when the CPTPP comes intoforce. — VNS/VNA