The government's proposal to restrict jobs for pensioners in order to free up opportunities for new workers is not only woefully ill considered and mean-spirited, but a waste of time.
First, it should be the undeniable right of anyone to work. Pensioners, who on average draw zł. 696.35 (2000 figures) a month from the government - hardly a generous stipend compared to the poverty level of zł. 656 - should be allowed to compete for jobs on equal terms and bolster their measly incomes. Prices will continue to rise but their pensions won't under the Democratic Left Alliance's (SLD) current budget. It is also improbable that these people have much of a nest egg to live off during their twilight years, which is presumably why they're working again. Thirteen years after the fall of communism, the same people who were denied the right to adequately provide for their own futures should not be denied that right now.
Second, by pretending to combat Poland's politically charged unemployment rate of 18%, SLD is ignoring the real issue while demonizing senior citizens. The problem is not that babcias and dziadeks are stealing jobs from the next generation of Polish workers, but a demographic bulge combined with this government's inaction. While purporting to be pro-business and pro-growth, SLD is not doing enough to encourage the entrepreneurship that will lead to increased productivity, reinvestment, growth and more jobs - for everyone.
SLD is also misguided in believing that fabricating financial incentives for hiring young people at the expense of the elderly is desirable for business. Who's to say whether a younger or older worker is better for a particular job? The market should decide, not the government.
But the most absurd premise of SLD's proposal to shift jobs from pensioners to 20-somethings - making the plan such a colossal time waster - is that there is no evidence the proposal will result in increased employment for the 1 million young graduates entering the workforce during the next three years.
Of the government-touted 1.1 million working seniors, about 500,000 of them are working on farms. And according to a 2001 study conducted by the Polish Confederation for Private Employers (PKPP), only 1.08% of the people employed in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are more than 60 years old, compared to 37.2% in the 21-30 age bracket. So where are all the working pensioners?
This government needs to stop wasting time scheming up unfair and half-baked measures like these and focus on real reforms that will lead to higher employment for everyone, such as cutting taxes and wiping out the bureaucratic obstacles that are impeding growth and limiting job creation.
