The Topic of 'Retirement Age Extension' Across the Country... The Direction of Seoul City

Seoul City and Public Service Workers' Union Proceed with Collective Agreement
Union Side: "An Indispensable Element"
City Side: "Needs Multilateral Review"

With the extension of the retirement age for public officials under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as a starting point, the topic of 'retirement age extension' has become a hot issue across local governments and ministries, drawing attention as Seoul City and its affiliated public officials are also in the process of collective bargaining.

According to Seoul City and the Seoul Branch of the Public Transport Workers' Union Public Officials Headquarters on the 13th, both sides are conducting collective bargaining regarding the working conditions and wages of public officials. So far, about 10 rounds of practical negotiations have taken place, with 'retirement age extension' included in the union's demands.

Yonhap News

A union official stated, "The extension of the retirement age has long been included in the collective bargaining demands, but the employer side (Seoul City) has maintained that there needs to be a social consensus." He added, "With the recent attention on the issue, the topic has been brought up together, but it seems it will not be easy." At the rally on the 2nd, Branch Chief Kim Eun-su urged, "Extending the retirement age is an indispensable element in the reality of population aging and decline," and called on "Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to immediately implement the retirement age extension."

Earlier, when the Ministry of the Interior and Safety decided last month through a review to extend the retirement age of its affiliated public officials, the issue of retirement age extension became a topic throughout the public service community. Following the Ministry's decision, Daegu City promptly announced that it would gradually extend the retirement age of public officials from the current age 60 to a maximum of 65.

A Seoul City official expressed the position that "it is necessary to review the extension of the retirement age for city-affiliated public officials from multiple angles." There are many factors to consider, such as the wage system and internal consensus within the organization. In the case of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, public officials are under a job-based pay system, whereas city public officials are under a seniority-based pay system. Collective bargaining between the city and public officials is usually concluded by the end of the year, but if negotiations fail, it may proceed to the mediation stage.

In the political sphere, discussions on the retirement age extension are progressing one step further. On the 1st, Seoul City Council member Hong Guk-pyo urged at the plenary session, "Seoul City should analyze the pros and cons of the current reemployment system for contract workers and the extension of the retirement age for public officials, and come up with alternatives that benefit the workers." The ruling party, the People Power Party, announced at the Gap Reduction Special Committee meeting that it plans to propose a bill related to extending the retirement age to 65 early next year.

However, the key issue is how to resolve problems related to the retirement age extension, such as ensuring employment flexibility and the reduction of youth jobs. The Gap Reduction Special Committee has also decided to hold more than three policy forums to discuss this issue together.