Early Retirement to Create Jobs in Tunisia
9 July 2009
Read by 1723 persons
The Tunisian parliament has passed a bill allowing civil servants to retire early. Officials say that the resulting job vacancies will allow for the employment of thousands of young university graduates.
To try to fight unemployment in the country, the Tunisian parliament adopted a new law on June 30th that allows civil servants to retire early, thus encouraging the hiring of young people.
Current legislation stipulates that one must wait until 60 years old before retiring, except in cases of chronic illness or physical disability. The new legislation will allow civil servants to retire three years earlier.
"This law meets the needs of the Tunisian administration for talented resources to, on the one hand, ensure performance development, and on the other hand, solve the employment problem for university graduates," explained Zohair Modhaffer, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of the Civil Service and Administrative Development.
Mr. Modhaffer emphasizes that this law will apply to civil servants, local authorities, public administrations, and employees of public health institutions who will reach 60 years of age between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012. This early retirement option will be voluntary, "so that the Tunisian administration does not find itself lacking in skills."
According to official figures, unemployment is between 13 and 14 percent of the population. The government has launched several initiatives to solve this problem, particularly for young university graduates. It offers bank loans to help job seekers create their own SMEs, organizes weekly meetings with employers' representatives to discuss proposals and initiatives, in addition to the hundreds of recruitment offices spread throughout the country.
The government expects this legislation to free up some seven thousand positions.
Such an initiative in favor of early retirement is not new in Tunisia, explains Naima Kadri, a journalist specializing in employment issues. It is already in place in commercial and industrial sectors such as telecommunications, postal services, railways, airlines, and freight.
"These organizations have adopted early retirement plans to attract young graduates and acquire the new professional skills needed by technological advancements and the new demands of the labor market," she explains.
Like Sami Haddad, who holds a master's degree in economics since 2006 and is still unemployed, people have welcomed this new law favorably. "It brings new hope in the fight against unemployment," he explains.
"I believe that this is an important measure that will partially solve the problem of unemployment among young graduates, although I don't think it will solve the entire problem," said Fethi Ayari, head of the Research and Studies Center, affiliated with the General Union of Labor.
To provide a more comprehensive solution to the problem, continues Mr. Ayari, the union insists on its previous proposal to create an unemployment insurance fund that will provide unemployment benefits to those who need them. Tunisia would not be the first country to do so, he continues; Algeria has already set up such a fund.
The Tunisian authorities have already rejected this proposal in the past, explains Ayari, for fear of seeing "the fund encourage dependency."
It is difficult to know exactly how many employees are interested in early retirement. But Tahar Ayadi, 58, says he is ready to accept this offer "as long as it is a measure designed to promote youth employment."
Published July 9, 2009
Posted online July 14, 2009
Maghrebia.com
To try to fight unemployment in the country, the Tunisian parliament adopted a new law on June 30th that allows civil servants to retire early, thus encouraging the hiring of young people.
Current legislation stipulates that one must wait until 60 years old before retiring, except in cases of chronic illness or physical disability. The new legislation will allow civil servants to retire three years earlier.
"This law meets the needs of the Tunisian administration for talented resources to, on the one hand, ensure performance development, and on the other hand, solve the employment problem for university graduates," explained Zohair Modhaffer, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of the Civil Service and Administrative Development.
Mr. Modhaffer emphasizes that this law will apply to civil servants, local authorities, public administrations, and employees of public health institutions who will reach 60 years of age between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012. This early retirement option will be voluntary, "so that the Tunisian administration does not find itself lacking in skills."
According to official figures, unemployment is between 13 and 14 percent of the population. The government has launched several initiatives to solve this problem, particularly for young university graduates. It offers bank loans to help job seekers create their own SMEs, organizes weekly meetings with employers' representatives to discuss proposals and initiatives, in addition to the hundreds of recruitment offices spread throughout the country.
The government expects this legislation to free up some seven thousand positions.
Such an initiative in favor of early retirement is not new in Tunisia, explains Naima Kadri, a journalist specializing in employment issues. It is already in place in commercial and industrial sectors such as telecommunications, postal services, railways, airlines, and freight.
"These organizations have adopted early retirement plans to attract young graduates and acquire the new professional skills needed by technological advancements and the new demands of the labor market," she explains.
Like Sami Haddad, who holds a master's degree in economics since 2006 and is still unemployed, people have welcomed this new law favorably. "It brings new hope in the fight against unemployment," he explains.
"I believe that this is an important measure that will partially solve the problem of unemployment among young graduates, although I don't think it will solve the entire problem," said Fethi Ayari, head of the Research and Studies Center, affiliated with the General Union of Labor.
To provide a more comprehensive solution to the problem, continues Mr. Ayari, the union insists on its previous proposal to create an unemployment insurance fund that will provide unemployment benefits to those who need them. Tunisia would not be the first country to do so, he continues; Algeria has already set up such a fund.
The Tunisian authorities have already rejected this proposal in the past, explains Ayari, for fear of seeing "the fund encourage dependency."
It is difficult to know exactly how many employees are interested in early retirement. But Tahar Ayadi, 58, says he is ready to accept this offer "as long as it is a measure designed to promote youth employment."
Published July 9, 2009
Posted online July 14, 2009
Maghrebia.com
