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Thousands In Russia Protest Proposal That Would Raise Retirement Age

The proposal would gradually raise the retirement age for women to 63 and men to 65.

Thousands In Russia Protest Proposal That Would Raise Retirement Age
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
SMS

Thousands of people in Russia are protesting a government proposal that would raise the country's retirement age. 

The proposal would gradually raise the retirement age for women to 63 and men to 65. 

But there's a problem — Russian unions say many men won't even live long enough to claim their pensions. 

The World Health Organization says, as of 2016, the life expectancy for Russian men is only 66 years old. The life expectancy for Russian women is 77.

Over the weekend, protesters in Moscow were seen holding signs that said, "We want to live on our pensions, not die at work." 

Protests started after the Russian government announced the proposal on June 14. This weekend's rally is one of the largest ever pension reform protests in the country.