An elderly man walks past a banner which reads "Victory!" during the Victory Day celebrations, marking the 73rd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2018. (REUTERS PHOTO)

MOSCOW, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev authorized the government on Saturday to submit a bill on raising retirement age to the State Duma, the lower house of the country's parliament, for approval.

The government proposes to gradually extend the age of retirement to 65 from 60 for men and to 63 from 55 for women from 2019 and complete the process by 2034, said a government press release.

According to the plan, women working for 40 years and men for 45 years will be allowed to retire two years earlier than the generally established retirement age.

However, a poll conducted by Russia's independent market research company ROMIR showed that 92 percent of the 1,500 respondents did not support extending the retirement age.

The Russian Labor Confederation, the country's second largest trade union, has launched a petition on the Internet, demanding to keep the current retirement age.

Russia aims to boost its economy in the coming years, but it faces a decline in native population, which could translate into a labor shortage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a government meeting last year that the demographic situation in Russia was worsening, mainly due to heavy losses during World War II and economic problems in the mid-1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

He urged the government to take a set of measures, including financial support, to encourage births.