El Presidente de la República, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, y el ministro de Trabajo y Promoción del Empleo, Alfonso Grados, entregan la condecoración Orden del Trabajo 2017. Foto: ANDINA/ Prensa Presidencia
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said Peru's pension system must be enhanced and health service improved for workers from all over the country, so that they can access better labor conditions.
Speaking from the Government Palace during the 2017 Order of Labor Decoration ceremony, Kuczynski commented on workers' desire "to have an equal and fair working field."
"I think we need to focus on pension system. There is a committee led by Economy and Finance Ministry (MEF) that works on this particular issue. We do not deliberate much on the theme of health, but I think we should do so more often," he stated.
According to the Peruvian leader, there is no single pension system in Peru: there is a private one and another administered by the State (Public Pension System—ONP).
"That's all we have, but many State workers have nothing, not even vacations. Figures and percentages of workers and public servants under that condition shocked me when I served in MEF," he said.
As for health, Kuczynski said that when he assumed the post of minister, at over 65 years of age, he was surprised by the lack of insurance for such group of people.
"I had no insurance, being member of the Ministerial Cabinet, because I was more than 65 years old. It ought to be the other way around; if someone is elderly, he or she should get more protection, but private [insurance] companies do not work that way. Young people should have insurance, too," he added.
(END) JCC/SMA/RMB
Published: 5/1/2017