According to a decision of the Sixth Senate of May 18, 2006 ( 6 AZR 631/05 ), the limitation of bridging allowances for early retirement benefits violates the collective agreement on social security for employees in the stationed forces in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany of August 31, 1971 (TV SozSich) neither violates Article 3 of the Basic Law nor the prohibition of discrimination in Section 6121 (1). 3 in conjunction with Section 611 a BGB. According to Section 8 No. 1 c TV SozSich, bridging allowance is not paid for periods after the end of the month in which the employee meets the requirements for receiving early retirement benefits from the statutory pension insurance. If an employee reaches the age of 60 and meets the requirements for an early retirement pension in accordance with Section 237 a SGB VI, the right to payment of bridging allowance expires, although it is irrelevant whether the employee actually receives the pension or has applied for it. This regulation is not linked to gender, but rather to the possibility of receiving early retirement benefits from statutory pension insurance. The different treatment of women and men is justified by objective factors that have nothing to do with discrimination based on gender. According to its purpose, the bridging allowance should only be granted for as long as it is necessary for the employees to be reintegrated into the work process. This is no longer the case once it is possible to receive an early retirement pension; The former employee’s livelihood is guaranteed by the statutory pension insurance. Under certain conditions, women who were born after December 31, 1939 can no longer claim the normal, unreduced old-age pension once they reach the age of 60, but can claim early retirement benefits. The fact that this better situation of earlier retirement is also associated with disadvantages, namely a reduced pension amount, is based on a decision by the legislature; The parties to the collective agreement are not obliged to compensate for these disadvantages within the scope of their collective bargaining autonomy.