In the literary world, the idea of Greece conjures up two visions. The first is classical Greece, dotted with the ruins of ancient temples and stories of the Trojan War and the Odyssey. This is the Hellenic world of the Olympic Games, philosophers and the birth of democracy.

The second Greece is an enchanting place of olives, figs and wine. Hills clad with cedar trees and vineyards overlook a vast expanse of the blue Mediterranean Sea glittering in the sunlight. Ouzo and traditional music set the scene for stories of Zorba the Greek and romantic holidays.

Recent events have swept all this aside, giving way to sadly real photographs of desperate pensioners in Athens, sobbing and collapsing outside bank doors in the summer heat, waiting for their limited daily allowance to buy food and basic necessities.

The Greek referendum must be one of the most pointless political manoeuvres of the decade on the world stage. The No vote turned out to be an empty gesture of defiance, followed by a sharp U-turn. It worsened the country’s negotiating position by precipitating a loss of trust. At least the Yes vote on the losing side knew where it was going.

The populism and grandstanding of Alexis Tsipras and Yanis Varoufakis pushed Greece deeper into the abyss, and steered the daily lives of its hapless popu­lation into an even bigger catastrophe.

Underneath the dry narrative of debt repayment, the single currency and austerity measures, a human tragedy has unfolded. The emerging reports on suicide and depression alone are appalling.

The Greek referendum must be one of the most pointless political manoeuvres of the decade on the world stage

For many Greek pensioners there is no way out of this crisis as their working life is over and they are dependent on the State. It is, of course, very tough for younger people too, trying to build their lives in a shattered economy, but at least they still have the energy and possibility to seek new horizons and to be creative and enterprising. It is so much more difficult for an older person to gain new opportunities if all is lost.

The unwieldy pensions system in Greece was one of the seeds of the crisis. People received pensions on the most bizarre criteria.

Hairdressers, radio presenters and bakers, for example, qualified for early retirement on the grounds that their jobs were hazardous. This absurdity was phased out in recent reforms. Pensions acted as a social prop in Greece for a long time, but were financially unsustainable.

Hopefully Malta will never go in this misguided direction and sink under the weight of an unsustainable pensions system. In this respect, our government’s latest pensions strategy, just launched for consultation, is a welcome initiative.

One of its positive proposals is to enable people to opt for later retirement, deferring their pension beyond 65 years of age. On eventual retirement, they would then receive a higher pension income. Another proposal is to abolish the mandatory retirement age.

In my view, mandatory retirement should be scrapped. Why should anyone be obliged to stop working if they are still fit, able and willing to work? Likewise, why should society be obliged to fund someone to stay at home, when that person would actually prefer to work?

The idea of ‘active ageing’ is to promote continued participation in economic and civic affairs, including the labour force.

People don’t just want to live longer, they want to live a fulfilled and meaningful life. This could, of course, involve more flexible working arrangements.

Last week, the Forum association at the MCESD said that allowing retirement to be deferred will prevent some younger people from finding jobs. They may have a point, but these are short-term issues that should not be confused with the bigger picture. It is a fact that younger gene­rations must support a growing aging population, and this is a major problem. Obliging a growing number of older people to live off State pay-outs is hardly the way to go in the longer term.

A sustainable pensions system must involve reducing dependence on pensions. Keeping people off pensions in the first place, and contributing to the labour force and national insurance for a longer period, seems like a sensible solution to me.

On the other hand, people should be able to make their own decisions. If they have had enough of working and consider that it is too tiring, or find that their job negatively affects their quality of life and aspirations, then after a certain number of years they should be able to stop and receive their pension.

Others may not be able to find work, or may suffer from health problems. They have made their contribution to society, paid their dues, and choose to retire.

The desire to keep on working partly depends on job satisfaction. People also want to continue working to remain active or to earn more money. They might want to remain involved in the community and to be given the opportunity to use their experience, skills and expertise. They may feel socially ex­cluded if they are obliged to retire.

Traditional attitudes that impose cut-off dates and exclude older people, limiting their freedom to choose to work, to use their skills, improve their standard of living and fully participate in all aspects of society, are detached from current social trends and future economic realities.

petracdingli@gmail.com

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