In summary, early retirement is a choice. The global economy is making it difficult to achieve it, but we can still try our best to plan toward enjoying it by saving, investing, and healthy living.
This is the reality going on now in my country. If you carry out a research survey among the working class regarding this, majority of them will definitely opt for early retirement if they have alternatives. Considering the present economic turmoil, early retirement is not supposed to be a thing of choice, it's very necessary. Working for government or private company is now a total slavery but then sitting idle is not an option after retiring at early stage. The measures you list out in your post can not realistic, not because the payment are too poor but inflation has caught up with us. Although, the payment is not quite good enough but it was a decent figure prior to inflation hike thereby making budget, investment and saving become almost impossible.
Considering alternative source of income? This option will hardly work for people working in private sectors. At first, I thought it was going to be possible to engage in several other things after closing from work but I barely have time for myself talk more of thinking about alternative income. Resume to work by 7am and close by 4pm with lots of incomplete logs that you'll take home and finish before the following day. All these result to shortage of sleep and overworking just to please someone in order not to lose your job. I don't think anyone will be interested to reject the offer of retiring early if they have plan on ground to sustain themselves after retirement.