Macron’s Stiff Opposition in Pension Battle: Angry Ballerinas

[Stecyk]

The Wall Street Journal: "Macron’s Stiff Opposition in Pension Battle: Angry Ballerinas: In a tutu at 62? France wants to add 20 years to the age dancers can claim their retirement pay" (subscription required)

Quote

At issue is the delicate matter of when France’s finest male and female dancers should be allowed to hang up their ballet shoes and begin drawing a national pension. For centuries, the retirement age has stood at 42, but Mr. Macron’s government wants to stretch their limits by at least two more decades.

 

Quote

Dancers say the physical demands of their profession mean they must glide into their golden years earlier. They begin dancing as children with dreams of attaining the rank of étoile, the lauded soloists who command the spotlight. Many never attend high school, making it hard to find jobs once their dancing days are over. They are flames that burn brightly—and briefly.

The very notion of special treatment, however, is anathema to Mr. Macron’s agenda. The government wants to consolidate 42 different pension plans—each with varying retirement ages and benefits—into one universal system with a retirement age of 62. That would lump ballerinas in with office workers, train conductors and nurses.

 

[Balletwannabe]

Yikes.  

[Stecyk]

Indeed, this situation is challenging for the dancers.

The article discusses Mr. Carniato, who is 41. Having danced from the age of 6, his body is beginning to fail him. He had hoped to retire next year and begin teaching. Salaries for new teachers, however, are just above minimum wage and are at about half his €2,500 month salary at POB. He was counting on his pension of about €1,000 to help make ends meet.

[silvermash]

While this is true that this government is not interested in arts (whatever art form) I'm not sure they are that stupid. What they probbly aim at is to suppress the pension at 42 leaving dancers to jump in another job and to get a "normal"pension at 62-4 .

[Stecyk]

13 hours ago, silvermash said:

While this is true that this government is not interested in arts (whatever art form) I'm not sure they are that stupid. What they probbly aim at is to suppress the pension at 42 leaving dancers to jump in another job and to get a "normal"pension at 62-4 .

The harsh reality is that the affected ballet dancers don't care what you, I, or any other Ballet Alert member thinks about the stupidity or intelligence of France's government. At present, their backs are against the wall. When they leave ballet and start new careers, they are often paid poorly because they are starting from the bottom. As highlighted by Mr. Carniato, he needs every extra dollar to supplement his new earnings to help make ends meet. 

Please see Prime Minister Édouard Philippe's quote, shown below, from the same Wall Street Journal article mentioned in the opening post.

Quote

“The system will be the same for all French people, with no exceptions,” Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said last week.

 

[silvermash]

well it's even worse for POB dancers because they are obliged to retire at 42 .  Mr Philippe already made an exception for police forces so the whole idea that this new system is great is a lie since it's already not good enough for police.