Congress General Secretary David Begg has called on Government to postpone changes to the state pension in order to properly assess their impact and ensure they do not "contribute to and deepen inequality."
Mr Begg made the call at a Congress organised conference on pensions, in Croke Park. The Minister for Social Protection - Joan Burton, TD - also attended and addressed the conference.
Mr Begg said raising the pension age to 68 along with changes to the qualification regime should be postponed due to fears they will impact most severely on those who depend soley on the state pension and certain categories of pensioners, particularly females.
"I think these changes were rushed through and not enough thought was given to the impact. Changes are taking place across Europe - but countries such as Germany, Spain and the UK are doing it in a more gradual fashion. Their pension age will rise to 67 - why has ours risen to 68?
"We also have very serious concerns about the possible impact on female pensioners. If they reach pensionable age after September 2012 they could lose over €1500 annually for the rest of their lives.
"As a rule, pension changes ought to be planned, well thought out and gradual. They ought to give people time to adjust. The changes introduced here run contrary to these key principles," Mr Begg said.
He said the changes should be deferred until a thorough analysis of their impact is carried out and there is an opportunity for unions and employers to consult on the changes.
