Sajal Kanti Roy [1]
Introduction:
The twin issues of work and retirement have probably been the most studied aspects of aging and with retirement have come a number of other issues: the meaningfulness of leisure, the adequacy of retirement income, declining status related to “nonproductive” roles. Whether a particular older person, or older people in general workers or retires is a major determinant of the aging experience. Retirement system creates new age strata, allocating the aged into new roles. Retirement also creates new symbolic meanings for the aging process.[2]
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| Does this woman have any retirement ? |
Retirement is at a time both pleasures and sorrowful. Retirement is pleasures as it let a person to enjoy his time and give him/her leave from work. Retirement is sorrowful as it detaches a person from his/her colleagues and may make him/her feel lonely.
Retirement system in Bangladesh is mainly observed in government services. The retirement issues are settled according to the rules of the Public Servants (Retirement) Act of 1974[3].
According to Bangladesh Population Census of 2001 the number of elderly people by age groups and by sex was as follows:[4]
Age Group | Both Sex (in millions) | Male (in millions) | Female (in millions) |
60-64 | 2.83 | 1.63 | 1.3 |
65-69 | 1.40 | .81 | .63 |
70 + | 3.30 | .18 | 1.5 |
There are about 36 million labors working in agriculture sector in the country, which are not covered by retirement scheme. Similarly migrant workers do not receive any retirement benefits. There is no provision of pension for private sector workers. They only receive some gratuity at retirement.
Meaning of Retirement:
Retirement is normally means the withdrawal from economic and productive activities. Retirement is a relatively recent development in modern industrialized societies. The term itself has several meanings. At the individual level, retirement entails an event that marks the end of one’s primary occupational life and is then followed by the process of adjusting to being a retired person. At the societal level it refers to “an economically non-productive role for large numbers of people whose labor is not considered essential to or necessary for the functioning of the economic order (Orbach, 1963)[5]”.
But in non-professional or self-employed sectors the retirement means unable to do work for the betterment of one-self or the family. In !Kung Bushmen society of the Kalahari Desert, when a man is no longer able to hunt big game, he shifts to trapping and making weapons. Old women among them continue to gather berries and tubers as long as they are able (Biesels & Howell, 1981).[6] So retirement among some groups means, shifting form one occupation to another according his/her ability to continue with the work.
According Webster's Dictionary “Retirement is a withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from an active working life. The word itself conjures up images of silver-haired senior citizens relaxing and sipping mai tais (women domestic workers) in some lush tropical paradise without a care in the world.”[7]
Daina K. Harris defines “Retirement entails the transition from a clearly defined role to a vague and ambiguous role.”[8]
According Robert C. Atchley “Retirement is a social institution providing orderly means of shifting older workers, or allowing them to shift, out of the labor force with a minimum of financial hardship in consideration of their past contributions.”[9]
Burgers referred to retirement as a “role-less role,” whereas others saw it as a social identity crisis and a stressful transition.
At the societal level retirement refers to an economically non-productive role for large numbers of people whose labor is not considered essential to or necessary for the functioning of the economic order.
Retirement has both positive and negative impression on people. Some people think retirement as a dismal, unhappy experience with serious financial, social and psychological problems. For some retirement is the realization of a life long goal. Retirement may be a welcome relief from an unpleasant job…..or the chance to begin a new life or start a second career. For others it is a time of bitterness the beginning of diminished roles and the end of self-worth and power. Retirement may means the golden years for some, but to others it is a psychological death sentence.
Types of Retirement:
The elderly population in the country now constitutes about 7.5 million of which 4.2 million are male and 3.3 million female[10]. Increased life expectancy caused by improvement in living condition, health care as well as changing demographic structure of the country is resulting in increase in proportion of elderly people. These people are subject to retirement according the governmental rules. According the gerontologists there are a few types of retirements.
Mandatory Retirement: Mandatory retirement means retirement form work after a certain age or working years in the job. In Bangladesh 60 years age or 25 years working time is considered for the mandatory retirement in Government offices. Its also known as forced retirement as the system force the worker to take retirement whether he/she has ability to continue the job or not. According D. K. Harris “The imposition of retirement at a fixed age upon individuals whether they desire it or not; rules in business, industry and government agencies that terminate employees by a certain age.” (Harris, 1998)[11]
Flexible or Voluntary Retirement: Flexible retirement refers to the retirement according the wish of the worker. Any time of the age after a certain period of working on the profession worker can take this opportunity to take his retirement.
In Bangladesh workers can take voluntary retirement before the age of 57. But the worker has to inform the authority about his/her retirement 30 days before his/her retirement.[12]
Early Retirement: Early retirement is a organizational attempt to encourage workers to take voluntary retirement before the end of their working age. Often it is done by golden handshake or open window system. In these system workers are given a very attractive lump- sum benefit and early pension benefits in exchange for their retirement. Early retirement allows some workers to start second careers at younger ages and for others it provides away out when they are in poor health or having employment problems.
Retirement as penal measure: According to the government employer act, authority can force any workers to take retirement as a punishment for his corruption in the job.
Retirement due to incapacitation: If any worker is proved as incapable to the work due to physical or mental disorder or incapability, then he is given retirement.
Impact of Retirement:
Retirement has both pleasures and sorrowful impact on the people and their families. As Bangladesh is developing country with low per capita income, most of the people here consider retirement as curtail of their gross family income. In case of self-employed or agriculture based working group retirement has more negative impact for the family. The rural people consider retirement as loss of family income.
From a small survey on the retired people conducted on 20 respondents of Dhaka City there are found both positive and negative impression about retirement.
After Retirement most of the people in Bangladesh feel physically and mentally discomfort. As they suddenly stop working and have more than enough free time, so feel bore in home. Even most of the times they do not get partner for gossip as most of the aged people in Dhaka city live without their grand children. Among the respondents only 20% (4 persons) said that, they feel physically better after retirement. As they had to work hard in their office and now they have more free time to take rest.
Retirement causes psychological disorder among the retired people. Among the respondents 90% (18 persons) said they do not feel psychologically good after their retirement. Most of the time the retired people feel tension about the economical stability of their family. Although they have other income earners in their family but they cannot become tension free about the future of their family. The rest 10% respondents did not feel any change after their retirement.
The most difference between retired and working people is the difference of income. Most of the time the retired people suddenly become jobless and feel economic uncertainty. Among the respondents 100% (20 Persons) said they became jobless and now they are tensed about the economic solvency of their personal life and family.
Retired people always expect extra care from their family and relatives. Their sudden job less condition gives them a huge free time for gossip. So they try to get someone to chat. But most of the times they do not get anyone to listen to them. So they feel helpless and worthless to their family. Among the respondents 85% (17 Persons) said they sometimes feel worthless and unnecessary to the family members and others.
One the other hand the wives (Although all the respondents do not have their wives) feel bother when the retired men interfere in their (wives’) most of the activities. 60% (12 Persons) respondents said they had better relation with their wives before their retirement.
Nostalgia is another impact of retirement. Retired people often recall their previous days full with work and busy time. This nostalgia makes their daily life sorrowful.
Some people still work in some other organizations or find another source of income (e.g. Private Tuition) to support their family after their retirement. The total pension given normally to a Bangladeshi worker is still not sufficient to supply every need of the family of a retired person. Most of the time the money a persona get at his/her pension goes to buy a flat for living or at marriage of their daughter or for the higher studies of their sons. After these the retired person seldom has something left to their hand to continue their normal life in Dhaka city where food inflation is so high. So the retired person is almost bound to search for another source of income. Among the 20 respondents 60% (12 Persons) said they are still working in some semi government or non-government offices. 20% (4 Persons) said, they invested a part of their saved money in some business like Share market. 20% (4 Persons) said they do not do any work for extra income.
Digest problem is also found another barrier for the happy life of retired people. None of my respondents are less than 65 years old and most of them are having a bad physical condition. They follow strong diet system to control their physical problems. Among the respondents 70% (14 Persons) follow a strong time table and food menu for their daily meal. This strong diet system creates a problem when they visit to their relatives. Because the retired people cannot maintain their dietary systems in parties or in the home of their relatives. So among the respondents 65% (13 Persons) said they try not to attain any gorgeous parties or visit colorful ceremonies of their relatives.
Recreation or source of entertainment is also a problem to retired people. The aged retired people do not get anyone to chat or indoor games. They cannot play in outdoor games. In TV most of the time modern day TV serials or other programs do not match to the retired people’s expectation. Due to sight problem retired people are not able to read books or magazine for a long time. So they (If do not have any part time or other work) do not get enough source to entertain themselves. Among the respondents 75% (15 Persons) said they don’t get enough sources of entertainment. The rest respondents 25% said they pass their time by playing with their grand children or reading Books or magazine as they still have good sight.
Current situation: Bangladesh government has a little project to help or solve the problem of the aged retired people. The pension that the government workers get according the rule of 1977[13] is not sufficient for their family. Although the government has a poverty alleviation program for the aged people of rural and poor urban area, but this poverty alleviation program is not sufficient for the aged poor people. The following table[14] of the poverty alleviation program shows that in year 2010 old poor people got 300 BDT for their family. But we all know this little amount cannot help the poor people for more than 3 days. The retired urban people cannot go any one to get economic help due to their prestige and pride and live a vulnerable life with misery.
Retirement in Private Sector:
The persons who are in the service of the government or of any parastatal organization or local authority are only entitled to pension and retirement benefits. But there is no provision for pension for the persons working in agriculture and industries sectors. In the case of industry, about 19 million workers are employed in the sector which constitutes about 48% of the total employment of the country. The industry sector contributes about 26% of the total GDP of Bangladesh. The growth rate of industry sector was about 9% in 2002-2003 which exceeds growth rate of agriculture sector by 4.11 percent. The industry sector consists of all industries of the country including companies and other organizations. The workers of these industries are not allowed pension at the time of retirement except that only an amount of gratuity is provided to them. They are not allowed to receive other benefits at retirement. In the absence of pension, the workers on retirement and their families face financial constraints. At old age they become physically and mentally weak. They hardly get jobs elsewhere after retirement. They and their families including dependents remain in financial insecurity throughout their old age.
For lack of employment and better earning laborers in the country migrate for overseas employment and better income. During the period 1999 to 2002 about 3.24 million Bangladeshis migrated for overseas employment and in the same period the remittances sent by them to Bangladesh amounted to about US$ 23.7 billion[15]. Despite positive effects of the remittances of the migrant workers in the economy they hardly qualify for pension on repatriation and they face problem for reintegration and rehabilitation. This situation gives rise to difficulty in their reentry in the society and at the old age they become vulnerable.
Conclusion: Retirement due to old age makes the elderly people very insecure and vulnerable. Low economic growth, overall impoverished condition of the society, and increasing dependency ration erodes into the traditional family support system for the elderly. This calls for policy level initiatives by the government and institutional arrangements for care of the old age population. The family members and Government should take special care of the retired people. We keep this in mind that, these aged old tired people once serve our family and our nation with their great efforts and ability. So we should respect and take special care to them.
References
[1] Student of MSS. Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka
[2] Russell A. Ward (1984) “The Aging Experience: An Introduction To Social Gerontology” New York. P-132
[3] M. Alimullah Miyan; “Retirement and Pension System in Bangladesh”. Vice-Chancellor & Founder of International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, (IUBAT). Dhaka, Bangladesh. P- 11. [www.airroc.org.tw/ISLSSL2005/program/doc/III-2.doc]
[4] Ibid. Page - 13
[5] Daina K. Harris (1917) “Sociology of Aging” Second Edition. New York. P-270
[6] Ibid
[7] http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/26754664/THE-NEW-MEANING-OF-RETIREMENT
[8] Daina K. Harris (1917) “Sociology of Aging” Second Edition. New York. P-270
[9] Russell A. Ward (1984) “The Aging Experience: An Introduction To Social Gerontology” New York. P-138
[10] M. Alimullah Miyan; “Retirement and Pension System in Bangladesh”. Vice-Chancellor & Founder of International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, (IUBAT). Dhaka, Bangladesh. P- 12. [www.airroc.org.tw/ISLSSL2005/program/doc/III-2.doc]
[11] Mohammod Habibur Rahman, (2002) “Samajik Jora Bigganer Vumika: Bardhokker SomajTotto” Dhaka. P- 153
[12] Ibid. p-155
[13] M. Alimullah Miyan; “Retirement and Pension System in Bangladesh”. Vice-Chancellor & Founder of International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, (IUBAT). Dhaka, Bangladesh. P- 12. [www.airroc.org.tw/ISLSSL2005/program/doc/III-2.doc]
[14] ASM ATIQUR RAHMAN, “Getting and Staying Active in Later Life”. FORUM- A Monthly Publication of Daily Star. Volume 3, Issue 9, October 2010
[15] Daily Star. 3rd Ocrober, 2009
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