Thousands rally across Russia against raising pension ages

MOSCOW (AP):

For yet another weekend, thousands rallied across Russia yesterday to protest against the government's plan to raise the eligibility age for retirement pensions by five years.

Several thousand people attended a Moscow rally organised by the Communist Party and other leftist groups, which was authorised by city officials.

Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov called for rolling back the proposed changes, arguing that the government should redistribute resources to avoid raising the pension age.

The government's plan to lift the retirement age to 65 for men and 60 for women has irked a wide range of Russians from all political factions.

Older Russians fear they won't live long enough to collect significant benefits while younger generations are worried that keeping people in the workforce longer will limit their own employment opportunities. The proposal has also dented President Vladimir Putin's popularity.

The Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma, has given only a preliminary approval to the pension changes bill and is yet to hold a decisive second reading.