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Retirements - Pensions

  • Fearing Social Unrest, China Tries to Rein in Unbridled Capitalism
    23 January 2006 par (Open-Publishing)
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    With a fast-graying population, increasing pollution and environmental damage and the absence of a real social system, Beijing is now seeking to check unbridled capitalism and quell flaring social tensions.
    Not so long ago, nouveau-riche Chinese could be seen standing in lines several hundred yards long. They were registering to purchase luxury condos in Shanghai — such was the demand. Hoping that prices would continue to rise — as they have over the past four years, by a full 74 percent — (…)

  • US Pensions: Capitalist Disaster
    9 January 2006 par (Open-Publishing)
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    by Rick Wolff
    The US pension systems for workers are now widespread disasters. Many corporations and many cities and states lack the money to pay all the benefits they have promised and legally owe to present and future retirees. Estimates of the shortfall range around $450 billion in the private sector plus at least another $300 billion in the public sector. Retired workers with lost or reduced pensions suffer extra strain on family and household finances. Millions now working expect (…)

  • A Fight for the Future
    1 January 2006 par (Open-Publishing)

    by JOSHUA B. FREEMAN
    Editor’s Note: Bus and subway workers in New York City agreed to return to work and to the bargaining table Thursday as negotiators for the Transport Workers Union and the Metropolitan Transit Authority worked on a final settlement after a two-day strike that immobilized the city. Joshua B. Freeman examines the history and issues at stake: the fight against the lie that abstract, neutral economic necessity, not the ideas and interests of the rich and powerful, are (…)

  • Belgium hit by second mass strike
    30 October 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
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    Belgian workers have caused widespread disruption with a 24-hour national strike in protest at government plans to up the retirement age from 58 to 60.
    Few buses and trams were running in most cities, and Charleroi airport, south of Brussels, was shut down.
    Trains were not affected as unions wanted them to keep running to carry people to protests in the capital.
    Tens of thousands of protesters have been marching through Brussels to get the prime minister to reconsider.
    A primary (…)

  • UK pension ’near lowest in West’
    25 July 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
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    UK pension ’near lowest in West’
    Britain’s state pension is one of the lowest among the richest nations, a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development claims.
    In a comparison of pensions in OECD countries, Britain’s state pension ranks 26th out of 30 in the percentage of average post-tax salary it pays out.
    A Briton on average pay of £22,000 could expect their pension to be less than 48% of their post-tax earnings.
    The average pay-out from other advanced (…)

  • Russian pensioners take to the streets in protest at benefit cut
    17 January 2005 par (Open-Publishing)
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    by Andrew Osborn
    Moscow. Thousands of Russian pensioners staged protests across the country yesterday against the abolition of generous Soviet-era social benefits.
    Though the demonstrations were peaceful, analysts said the protests were the most serious in Russia since 1998, when disgruntled coal miners blocked railway tracks in protest at unpaid wages.
    Yesterday was the third consecutive day of demonstrations, which have stretched from Russia’s Far East to Moscow itself and at times (…)