The National Council passed the pension reform with a coalition majority. This means that from 2022 discounts (of 4.2 percent) will apply to the “hackers' regulation”; they can still be started after 45 insurance years from 62 years Pension is increased (maximum 60). The prerequisite is that 12 months and a total of 25 years have been worked before the 20th birthday.
Eventually the pension adjustment will be delayed. The full increase in the first year after retirement is only paid to someone who retired in January. After that, the adaptation melts away. Retirees who retired in February will receive 90 percent of the increase, March retirees 80 percent, and so on. Those who retire in November or December have to wait until the year after next to get any increase at all.
The amendment also includes the fact that the accident insurance in the home office remains valid until at least the end of March.
Criticism from opposition
This was preceded by an emotional debate in the National Council. SP social spokesman Josef Muchitsch accused the coalition: “They show their true anti-social face.” His liberal colleague Dagmar Belakowitsch called the bill “unfair, unjust and anti-social”.
For Muchitsch, the government is now making those who work hard and particularly long pay the crisis. All future retirees would have to bear losses as a result of today's change in the law. The coalition asked the trade unionist why workers were being punished. It is those who paid the most into the pension system, worked the longest and received the lowest federal grant.
Belakovich hit the same note: “All pensions will be cut. It has nothing to do with fairness.” For those who have worked for many years something is taken away from what they have earned. The early starter bonus does not represent any compensation for the liberal social spokeswoman. The Greens would have let themselves be fooled by the “social cutback party” ÖVP.
Neos welcome reform
Neos social spokesman Gerald Loacker has absolutely no problem with the fact that the “hacker's regulation” no longer applies without deduction. The pre-election decision with the abolition of the deductions was anyway a botch-up, as not even the officials were involved. Since the SPÖ one day also decided on the rule with the discounts, Loacker now sees a double game that is exposed and heavenly sad. The Neos are also critical of the “early starter bonus”.
The coalition defended itself properly against the attacks by red-blue. ÖAAB General Secretary Christoph Zarits said in the direction of the SPÖ. When she was there for the same decision, it was pipifein, now that she was not there, it was the work of the devil. As the Social Democrats had decided on the “Hackler Regulation” (with discounts), they were still state-supporting: “Today you are a populist party.”
Will be “not abolished”, but “converted”
Like Zarits, social spokesman for the Greens, Markus Koza, emphasized that the “hackers' regulation” would not be abolished, but would simply be switched to the mode that had already been in place this year – a regulation that had been decided by a social democratic social minister with the participation of the union. The government is creating something new with the “early starter bonus”, from which 60,000 to 70,000 newcomers to the pension can benefit each year, while with the “hacking rule” it is only 7,000 to 8,000.
Social Minister Rudolf Anschober (Greens) had a similar line of argument. 45 years are actually enough. Therefore, it is right and important that the long-term insurance policy remains. Just go back to the old compromise solution that the SPÖ and ÖVP would have decided in the government. In any case, he had set out to fight poverty in old age and this was served by the recently decided strong increase in the compensation allowance as well as the “early starter bonus”.
