Most Chinese against delaying retirement: poll  

近七成受访者反对延迟退休 73.5%支持弹性退休

人民网北京11月1日电 (记者贾玥)人民网近年推出的全国两会调查显示，社会保障中的养老保障问题最受关注，连续四年居网友关注度首位。近期本网联合专业第三方调研机构——清研咨询、优数咨询所做的一项问卷调查显示，近七成受访者反对延迟退休，59%的受访者认为废除退休双轨制的时机已经成熟。此外，还有73.5%的受访者支持实行弹性退休制。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) – A questionnaire survey, conducted by the People's Daily Online and two research institutions in China, shows that nearly 70 percent of respondents object to raising the retirement age, 73.5 percent are open to flexible retirement, and 59 percent think it's time to abolish the dual-track pension system, according to people.com.cn.

The survey interviewed 1,062 people from 11 cities in China, 96.5 percent of whom have bought endowment insurance.

Among the objectors to delaying retirement, most work for foreign capital enterprises. 78.8 percent think that delaying retirement isn't suitable for China's conditions.

"It's mainly because workers have been suffering from high labor intensity and long working times, and there are defects in the labor laws," said Tang Jun, director of the Center for Social Policy Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Earlier reports said the proposal of delaying retirement is intended to balance the pension burden. But Yang Jun, an associate professor at Renmin University, said that whether to delay is influenced by economic development, social management, as well as personal willingness.

Of the respondents, 66.5 percent rely principally on pensions for their retired lives, but only 6.1 percent are willing to find post-retirement work. 72.9 percent think the current dual-track policy is unreasonable, and 59 percent think it's time to reform the system.

"The public's dissatisfaction with the current pension system is mainly because pensions for enterprises' retired workers are much less than those for civil servants and staff at public institutions," said Tang.

"It should be solved by promoting equitable incomes, not just by implementing a uniform pension policy," said Tang.

And 73.5 percent show their support for flexible retirement, and only 9.3 percent showed strong disagreements.

Chu Fuling, director of the Center for China Social Security Research at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said flexible retirement would be a useful complement to the policy of raising the retirement age.

But Li Jianfei, a professor of labor law at Renmin University, disagreed. He said the policy could lead to improper practices. "Manual laborers have to retire when the age comes, but those engaged in relatively easy work can continue to work and earn more money."

"The flexible system is undoubtedly feasible, but it would contradict the government's intention of addressing the pension shortfall," Tang pointed out.