Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

preferred way of exit due to easy access criteria and low standard of health of the
population. The restricted access to disability pensions in 1997 contributed to their decrease
in numbers and to the raising of the average age of take-up of such pensions. Employment
rates of Polish men and of Polish women aged 50-54 years are going up since 2005. Relief
on the labour market is the foremost explanation.
Evasive strategies are another proof of the impact of institutional constraints and
opportunities. After the introduction of pre-retirement benefits and allowances and the
expiry of early old-age pensions for economic reasons, older workers quickly
accommodated to the new options.
Following the introduction of early retirement in 1981, early exit gained in acceptance as
a deserved phase of life and established an early retirement culture. It is additionally
supported by the unparalleled culture of young grandmothers taking care of their working
daughters´ children and the belief that early retirement is a just compensation for women´s
double burden. Owing to this, most women in Poland retire at the earliest possible age (55
years).
An exogenous change of preferences with regard to the expiry of the early retirement for
women and certain occupations in 2009 is not visible. There is a continued low acceptance
for the equalisation of retirement ages and for the standard retirement age for both men and
women (65, resp. 60 years). This can be partially blamed on the back-and-forth policy of all
subsequent governments since the pension reform of 1999, especially with regard to
bridging pensions.
The impact of the new pension system which rewards each year of contributions can be
assessed only in the next decade, when the first cohorts will start receiving their old-age
pension calculated (partially) according to the changed rules. This is however only a
function of long transitory period and does not reduce the validity of hypothesis 4 (see
section 2.3.) which is herewith accepted. Institutional changes have an impact on individual
life courses, as statutory early exit options were utilised to a great extent shortly after
introduction and have given rise to the early exit trend in Poland.
3.3.5. Politics of Social Partners
In this section, the Polish industrial relations model will be sketched. This will be the
basis for adjusting hypothesis 7 to Polish conditions. Subsequently, the powers of shop-level
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