Authorized protest against higher retirement age held in Novosibirsk
NOVOSIBIRSK. Sept 13 (Interfax) - A protest against the higher retirement age took place in Novosibirsk on Thursday at the initiative of the Novosibirsk regional federation of trade unions.
'The organizers expected a 3,000 turnout, yet the Interior Ministry counted 600 people at the rally," Novosibirsk city administration spokesman Sergei Polyansky told Interfax.
The chair of the Novosibirsk regional federation of trade unions, Alexander Kozlov, disagreed and told Interfax the turnout stood at least at 2,000.
"There were from 2,000 to 2,500 participants. Many potential participants, especially public sector employees, were pressured not to come," Kozlov said.
The protesters adopted a resolution which demanded that the federal government abstain from raising the retirement age. They urged the State Duma not to pass the bill in the second reading and the Federation Council to vote it down.
"It is inadmissible and premature to implement the initiative aimed at raising the retirement age in the country that has yet to provide decent salaries and high living standards to its citizens," the resolution, which was unanimously adopted, said.
The bill raising the retirement age passed the first reading in July 2018. Initially, the bill raised the retirement age to 65 years for men and 63 years for women, but the president proposed that the women's retirement age be raised to 60 years instead. The bill is being prepared for the second reading due during the fall session of the State Duma.