Pension deal still far off (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, November 3 - A deal with the government on averting a pension-age hike to 67 for certain categories of workers is still "far off," CGIL union leader Susanna Camusso said Friday. Camusso said that in talks with Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan Thursday "we tried to see whether there were the conditions to change the mechanism with respect to life expectancy and identify what are the various jobs that don't permit an infinite extension of working lives." But she said "it's still all to be done". On Thursday Padoan said he principle of raising the Italian pension age to 67 "remains confirmed". He said a negotiating "table" had been set up on heavy jobs "to see whether we can detach them from the automatic hike mechanism" in 2019. Padoan went on to say there was a "possibility" to improve the age-hiking mechanism laid down in a controversial 2011 reform named after then labour minister Elsa Fornero.
    He said this could be done while respecting the budget parameters set to keep the system sustainable in the long term.
    Camussdo, whose CGIL is Italy's biggest and most leftwing union, said the unions would verify if there was a "real willingness" on the part of the government to change the mechanism and differentiate between jobs in another meeting on November 13.
    Labour Minister Giuliano Poletti said earlier this week there needed to be talks "on a scientific basis" on the list of heavy jobs with higher mortality rates that could be exempted from the hike in the retirement age, so that those workers can retire earlier than 67. There has recently been talk of putting off the pension-age hike, which is currently set to be triggered in summer 2019.