Jobbik launches campaign for men’s early retirement

Conservative opposition Jobbik on Thursday announced that it has launched a nationwide campaign to allow men to retire after 40 years of work, an option already open to women.

János Stummer, the party’s deputy leader, told a press conference that

Jobbik will ask men who have worked 40 years to send in letters sharing their personal stories, explaining why they would support the early retirement option, describing their working conditions and the effect it had on their health.

At the end of the campaign dubbed “40 years, 40 arguments”, Jobbik will bring 40 such letters to Parliament to “confront” the ruling parties “who have long rejected the initiative” with the experiences of men who have worked 40 years, Stummer said.

The politician argued that men in Hungary on average live 6-7 years less than women, and three-fifths of them die before reaching retirement age.