Between the chiaroscuro of a structure of labor policy that seemed more focused on measuring results quantitatively rather than qualitatively, the future of many people who live on the threshold of old age in Yucatán, They perceive how this becomes uncertain and in many scenarios very gloomy, almost always the result of a lack of planning of what they will require for the stage that marks retirement from productive life.
Employment figures, often celebrated by the authorities in power when talking about the fight against unemployment, are usually encouraging in quantitative terms, but like everything that is measured in numbers it can be cold, impersonal and relative, a kind of mirror that only reflects a part of a contextualized whole; the qualitative.
It sounds cruel, but what popular wisdom says is true, that there is no greater sadness than reaching old age without having anywhere to drop dead, and yes, it is true that history tends to repeat itself in thousands of people who, when they reach old age, cannot enjoy a dignified retirement because foreseeing for the future in his past was never a priority.
It would be very easy to hold people responsible for not having planned for retirementbut while it is true that this is the responsibility of each person, we cannot ignore the fact that in almost all of these cases there has been a lack of financial education and adequate guidance, from the workplace.the companies themselves and the authorities, especially educational ones, what could they make of this subject part of the comprehensive training of citizens.
Dignified retirement is a serious and complex matter, having financial resources to endure this phase of human existence is a right that also entails duties and obligations on the part of the person, and educating oneself and knowing about the options that will determine one’s future is something that must be assumed in advance and not when there is no time left.
For the teacher Adán González Hurtado, corporate lawyer, professor at the business school of the Anáhuac Mayab University, The majority of cases of people reaching old age without a retirement plan is the result of a lack of information and financial education to structure a plan appropriate for this stage of life.
According to the interviewee, and based on figures from the Mexican Social Security Institute, In the last year of the administration of the former governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, In Yucatán, the IMSS had 336 thousand registered members which, consequently, have their respective Afores.
How are you going to retire? These are the laws that currently govern and what they apply
Of this universe of affiliated workers, there are those who contribute under the rules of the Law 73 and those who do so under the reform regime of 97.
The number of active workers who have the right to the benefits of law 73 They are less and less compared to those who do it under the terms of the reform of ’97 because the first are people who began trading before mid-1997; That is to say, these people are the last generation that will enjoy the benefits that it offers, and they are people that perhaps today the youngest ones are hanging around. 45 years old.
“In addition to the IMSS, which represents 98% of the workers affiliated in the entity, there are 2% of those who are affiliated with the Issste.”
“The number of 336 thousand members of the IMSS is only a figure for a part of the 1.2 million people of economically active age. And although the unemployment rate in Yucatán is one of the lowest in the country, a good number of these people probably do not have a retirement plan, not even a private one,” explained the interviewee.
“The problem of Official employment figures are similar to education and qualifications: Parents are happy when their children have grades of 8, 9 or 10, but when the child is unable to demonstrate knowledge it is a disappointment and a hard blow to reality,” he said.
There are between 58% and 60% of the population in Yucatán in the informal economy, the informal economy does not contribute to public spending and furthermore, it does not obtain fair and sufficient income to cover its needs and worse still, it deprives the person of insurance for work risk, illness or disability.
“Yucatán is a clear example of the complexity of the labor problem. While Mérida offers better working conditions, there are municipalities where unemployment is high.
“People in the agricultural and service sectors, especially those who work on commission, have jobs, but not with the benefits that this implies.
“There is a lack of financial education In people, if you don’t know the basics of finances, it is difficult to plan for the future.
“The key is to prepare people in financial matters because many work without knowing that they have an Afore; and if they do not know, least of all the family members or beneficiaries when the case of the death of the worker arises, consequently they will never know about compensation, life insurance, etc.
“Not everyone knows about social security regimes for independent workers and voluntary contributions like the modalities 10 and 44considered alternatives for independent or informal workers who want to save for their retirement.
Voluntary contributions and their modalities
“The Modality 10 allows access to medical, hospital, occupational risk and savings fund serviceswhile the modality 44 is more focused on medical and hospital service for the familyis paid annually and is similar to the medical expenses insurance”.
The interviewee also commented that there are financial investment instruments offered by banking and credit institutions, which can be a good alternative for a less complicated withdrawal.
What impact does the lack of contributions have on the old age of Yucatecan workers?
The interviewee emphasized that without a savings fund, without a retirement plan, older adults will hardly be able to meet their most pressing needs. There is talk that next year the IMSS Bienestar will be established in Yucatán which opens the possibility that pepeople without medical services aspire to them, Obviously it will be beneficial for older adults who do not have these. However, the reduction of the 48 to 40 hour work daybecause if it is about working less, then the proposal of businessmen like Carlos Slim, of working days of 4 x 3 but with a retirement age of 75 yearssets the bar very high for a population with a life expectancy well below 73 years as can happen with Yucatán, a state where there are high rates of health problems due to the type of diet that distinguishes it.
“I am sure that no low-income worker wants to continue working at 75 years of age,” commented the interviewee.
The interviewee suggests:
1.- Financial education at school ageThe earlier the better, models such as Finland, Canada and even Singapore implement financial education in their school programs and the results are promising.
2.- In this same financial educational tenor, companies must support the financial education of your employees, organize courses and workshops that allow employees to become aware of the importance of this and to plan for the future, but this training must be formalized and constant, not ephemeral or temporary, much less because there is a legal obligation in labor matters.
3.- HOh, we have to break with the fear of formal workthose who work in informal regimes, in the economy outside of legality, not only do not contribute to the development of the country or the state, they are depriving themselves of all those benefits that will be important and definitive in his retirement; decent salary, health and a savings fund It is what in justice corresponds to the worker
4.- You have to break with the misinformation and deception that people who are not educated in financial matters often fall into; It is impossible to believe in an investment that doubles or triples the capital in a short time, that simply does not exist, there is no way that it is possible, especially when there is an instrument like the CETE, which is the reference rate used by credit and banking institutions nationwide.