Proposal to consider raising the retirement age of female police officers to ensure health

Delegate Pham Van Hoa said that because female police lieutenant colonels and colonels have heavy and dangerous duties, increasing the retirement age may not ensure their health for work.

On the morning of June 2, participating in the discussion of the revised Law on People's Public Security, delegate Pham Van Hoa (Vice President of Dong Thap Lawyers Association) proposed that the drafting agency consider raising the maximum service age for female lieutenant colonels to 3 years and female colonels to 5 years.

According to him, such an increase is too high compared to the remaining ranks. Because through surveys, in practice, some localities have proposed that the highest service age for women must be consistent with the specific factors of the profession, position, and working environment to ensure the health conditions of commanding officers in different working environments.

According to Mr. Hoa, the armed forces in general have a very difficult working environment, can work day and night continuously, especially in places with complicated political security and social order and safety. He suggested not to equate the retirement age with administrative agencies according to the Labor Law.

Delegate Pham Van Hoa (Member of the Law Committee). Photo: National Assembly Media — Delegate Pham Van Hoa (Member of the Law Committee). Photo: *National Assembly Media*

In addition, female police officers with the rank of lieutenant colonel or colonel often hold the position of head or deputy head of professional units of the industry or director or deputy director of provincial or city police. These are all very difficult tasks, affecting health if you are old. He proposed that the retirement age for female lieutenant colonels be 57 and female colonels be 58, while that for female major generals is still 60.

Delegate Nguyen Thanh Hai (Secretary of Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee) had the opposite argument. Ms. Hai said that the increase in age for each position and subject as in the draft law is consistent with the Labor Code. In particular, the draft law focuses on regulating specific subjects working in toxic and arduous environments.

According to the draft law, the increase in retirement age is divided into two groups. Group 1 will increase by 2 years for lieutenant colonels, majors, lieutenants, and non-commissioned officers. According to the Thai Nguyen Party Secretary, this is a group of occupational specialties whose retirement age is 7 years lower than the old Labor Code.

Therefore, the draft law proposes to immediately increase the age by 2 years, which is appropriate to ensure the difference between the retirement age of this group and the general retirement age. The remaining group (lieutenant colonel, colonel) is at the same retirement age as stipulated in the old Labor Code (male 60, female 55). Therefore, when the new Labor Code increases the retirement age, this group must also increase accordingly to ensure consistency.

Delegate Nguyen Thanh Hai (Secretary of Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee). Photo: National Assembly Media — Delegate Nguyen Thanh Hai (Secretary of Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee). Photo: *National Assembly Media*

The Thai Nguyen Party Secretary proposed a compromise plan by dividing the increase in service age of colonels and lieutenant colonels in the law into two steps. Step 1, immediately after the law takes effect, the service age of male colonels and lieutenant colonels will increase to 60 years and 9 months and female lieutenant colonels will increase by one year from 55 to 56, similarly to the draft law's proposal to immediately increase the age by two years for lieutenant colonels, majors, lieutenants, and non-commissioned officers.

Step 2, from the following years, increase by 3 months for men and 4 months for women, similar to the Labor Code. This option will not have to delay the retirement age calculation, so it does not violate the law and still achieves the result of synchronizing the retirement age according to the provisions of the Labor Code and takes into account the retirement age for special groups.

According to Ms. Hai, Thai Nguyen currently has 5 colonels but no women; out of 105 lieutenant colonels, there are 5 women. "Increasing the retirement age for female colonels and lieutenant colonels will create equal opportunities in terms of time for female leaders in the police sector to strive after the law is enacted," said the Thai Nguyen Secretary.

Specifically, after a period of implementation, the number of female colonels nationwide will not be just 67 as at present and the number of generals will not be just 6 but will increase. "We can absolutely think that there will be a female lieutenant general as deputy minister of public security in the near future," she hopes.

Discussing this issue earlier, Lieutenant General Nguyen Hai Trung (Director of Hanoi Police) said that increasing the maximum service age for officers, non-commissioned officers, and police workers has many advantages. That is, it creates synchronization and compatibility with the Labor Code, helps strengthen social insurance funds, and takes advantage of the work experience of officers.

Regarding concerns about increasing the retirement age for female officers, General Trung said that currently the number of women in the police force only accounts for more than 10%, most of whom work in the fields of education, health, party work, politics, logistics, and finance. Extending the age limit will help female officers avoid the reality of "landing before they can take off at the age of 55" (before that, they have to take care of family and children, and when they have more free time to strive in their work, they reach retirement age).

According to the 2018 Law on People's Public Security, the maximum service age for non-commissioned officers is 45 years old; lieutenant is 53 years old; major and lieutenant colonel is 55 years old for men and 53 years old for women; lieutenant colonel is 58 years old for men and 55 years old for women; colonel is 60 years old for men and 55 years old for women. The retirement age for generals is 60 years old.

Police officers who are professors, associate professors, doctors, or senior experts can have their service age extended beyond 60 for men and beyond 55 for women.
In case the police unit has a need, lieutenant, major, lieutenant colonel and male officers who are lieutenant colonels, if they have sufficient qualities, are good at expertise and profession, are in good health and volunteer, their service age may be extended according to the regulations of the Minister of Public Security, but not more than 60 for men and 55 for women.

The National Assembly will vote to pass the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security on the afternoon of June 22.

Son Ha - Viet Tuan

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