President Lech Kaczynski is considering vetoing the early retirement bill, passed by the Lower House of Parliament on Thursday.
The Sejm, the lower house of the Polish Parliament, also rejected the president's amendment to prolong the current regulations on early retirement for at least a year.
“I would find such prolongation crucial,” explained President Kaczynski.
The president agreed that Poles left the workforce too early, although he didn't find the bill clearly negative, he said it was against the interests of numerous employees.
After the vote, PM Tusk appealed directly to the head of state not to veto the bill, which was is a vital part of the government’s cost cutting agenda.
The Chief of the Chancellery of the President, Piotr Kownacki, however, appears to deny that the president is considering the veto. “It is the media and not the president himself who announce a possible veto,” he said, Friday.
MPs from the Civic Platform/Polish Peasant’s Party ruling coalition outvoted opposition Law and Justice, the Left Mps to pass a bill that limits the number of people who can participate in the early retirement program from around 1 million to 250,000. Teachers, journalists and postmen, some anaesthesiologists and musicians, among others, would be deprived of the right to retire five years early.
Only those born after January 1, 1948 who until January 1, 1999 had worked in difficult conditions or performed a job of a special nature for at least 15 years would be entitled to 'bridging pension' . The retirement age in Poland would be 60 for men and 55 for women, which is five years before full pensions can be claimed.