RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government announced on Wednesday modifications to its controversial social security reform bill in a bid to ensure the bill's approval in the Congress.
The modifications included changes related to retirement, dropping the minimum years of working for workers from 49 years to 40 years, among others.
The original reform bill proposed a minimum retirement age at 65, or required workers to take a longer time to retire, such as working minimumly 49 years.
Critics pointed out that the minimum retirement age would be especially damaging to poor workers in heavily physical occupations, such as rural workers and workers in the construction sector.P In addition, in some Brazilian states, life expectancy is not much higher than the minimum retirement age proposed in the reform, which means citizens would not even have the chance to enjoy retirement, they said.
The modifications also removed some special conditions for retirement of several professions, such as teachers and rural workers.
The original bill was met with disapproval even inside Brazilian President Michel Temer's coalition.
The government had said that the reform was necessary to close a huge deficit in the country, in order to make the payment of pensions in the future possible.
Despite the modifications, the bill needs a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate in order to be signed into law, analysts said.
