Preferential Pension for Blast Furnace Gasmen under List No. 1
Nowadays, manual labor is becoming increasingly valued again. Intellectual work is gradually taking second place as fewer and fewer people are willing to perform physically demanding jobs. Despite the fact that heavy manual labor may be better paid, workers engaged in such occupations often face certain difficulties when applying for a pension.
This article focuses on blast furnace gasmen. According to the Ukrainian Classification of Occupations, this profession belongs to Section 8 and covers workers who operate and service ore- and metal-smelting furnaces.
Persons employed in occupations covered by List No. 1 and List No. 2 may be entitled to preferential retirement benefits because such work involves harmful and hazardous working conditions. In particular, blast furnace gasmen covered by List No. 1 may qualify for early retirement after acquiring the required preferential service: at least 10 years for men or 7 years and 6 months for women. In addition, the employee must have the required total insurance record. For men, this generally amounts to at least 25 years of insurance record, including the required period of preferential service.
However, if a person worked before 2000, certain difficulties may arise when applying for a pension. Since employment records for earlier periods may not be fully reflected in electronic registers, the Pension Fund of Ukraine may require additional documents confirming the relevant periods of employment. Moreover, employment record books from earlier periods often contain corrections, crossed-out entries, unclear marks or other deficiencies. Any corrections must be properly made in accordance with the applicable record-keeping rules. If corrections were made improperly, additional certificates confirming the employment period may be required. Similar problems may arise where an employment entry does not contain the signature of the responsible person or the employer’s stamp.
Potential pensioners also frequently discover that the enterprise where they previously worked has already been liquidated. In such cases, documents confirming the relevant employment period may need to be obtained from a state or other competent archive.
If the Pension Fund of Ukraine refuses to grant a preferential pension even after all available supporting documents have been submitted, such a refusal may be challenged before an administrative court. If there is sufficient evidence confirming the required insurance and preferential service, the applicant may seek recognition of the disputed periods of employment and the granting of a pension through court proceedings.
