Recently, a large number of retired individuals in Guangzhou have initiated a rights protection movement, demanding the authorities to return long-overdue medical insurance funds and social security funds that have been withheld for years.
In front of the Guangdong Provincial Medical Insurance Bureau and Guangzhou Municipal Social Security Bureau petition offices, they shouted slogans such as “Return our withheld funds” and “Give us back our medical insurance money” to express their discontent. Authorities have deployed a large number of plainclothes officers and police to guard the scene and monitor the protest.
Taking part in the rights protection activities on site, Mr. Zhao, who is over seventy years old, told a reporter from Dajiyuan that after retiring, he only receives a pension of 1,000 yuan and the portions stipulated in the contract signed by the Social Security Bureau have not been fulfilled. He emphasized that there was a contractual agreement when they were paying into the social security system. “The government is not following the agreement. We have been making demands for at least four to five years, the Communist Party is very unscrupulous.”
Since July 2006, a phenomenon called “late retirement, low benefits; early retirement, high benefits” has emerged for retired employees of companies in Guangzhou, which means the level of pension is inverted. Despite authorities in Guangzhou claiming to adjust and supplement the pension, the issue remains unresolved.
Retired Mrs. Wu mentioned that during their working years contributing to the pension, they strictly followed the payment regulations, but there is a significant disparity in the benefits between retired individuals before and after May 2019. With similar work experience and payment levels, the actual pension received has plummeted dramatically by nearly 50%.
According to policy regulations, after retirement, individuals should receive 400 yuan per month from their personal medical insurance account. However, after being withheld by the authorities, they only receive 160 yuan.
Mr. Zhao expressed that he paid for his own medical insurance while working, and after retirement, the government should refund the portion that individuals are entitled to. However, the local government has withheld the funds under the guise of solidarity funds. “When elderly people need medical treatment, medicine, or hospitalization, they have to pay out of their own pockets. Without money for serious illnesses, they can only wait for death.”
Mrs. Chen, a retired worker from a factory who suffered from an occupational injury, lives alone and already has a meager pension. She has to pay for medications, acupuncture, and other treatments out of her own pocket every month. In cases of serious illness requiring hospitalization, she cannot afford the medical expenses.
She said, “Living in a first-tier city like Guangzhou, the cost of living is high. I can’t afford meat, so I can only eat cheap vegetables to get by.”
Attempts to contact the Guangzhou Medical Insurance Bureau and Social Security Bureau by phone were unsuccessful.
After three years of “zero-case” epidemic control, the Chinese Communist Party’s finances are in crisis, prompting many provinces and cities to launch so-called “medical insurance reforms.” Since December 2022, Guangzhou has significantly reduced medical insurance benefits for retired individuals, leading to public protests and rights protection activities.
Mr. Zhao stated that over the past few years, retired individuals have persisted in their rights protection demands, but instead of addressing the issues, authorities have resorted to harsh crackdowns against unarmed elderly individuals. Almost every elderly participant in the rights protection activities has been visited by the police. “We are not afraid. Since you are here to handle our matters, you should be responsible for providing the money.”
Mrs. Chen mentioned that there were many plainclothes officers present at the rights protection site who resorted to forcible measures against the elderly. The police pulled people out and pressed them down with their knees. She herself has been harassed and threatened by the police three times for participating in the rights protection activities. “I’m an old lady at home, and they block your door all day long. The epidemic couldn’t kill you for three years, and now they want to crush you; the suppression is too severe.”