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Age Equality Campaigners Suffer 'Sad Setback'
Brussels, 5 March 2009
Age equality campaigners suffered a 'sad setback' this morning in their battle at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to banish the compulsory retirement age in the UK, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Conservative leader in Brussels, said today.
British law currently allows a company to dismiss an employee without redundancy pay when that worker reaches 65 or the mandatory retirement age set by the company. Heyday, a membership organisation of Age Concern challenged the law as being in contravention of the EU's equal treatment rules.
However, this morning the ECJ ruled that the difference of treatment on the grounds of age was justified. The British High Court, which referred the case to the ECJ, will now make a final ruling.
Mr Kirkhope, who is a lawyer himself, said
"This is a sad setback for age equality in Britain. It is wrong to force people who want to make a contribution to the economy to hang up their boots, particularly during a recession.
"Too many companies undervalue the expertise and experience older people can bring to the table. We need a sea change in our attitude to older people in the workplace.
"The problem of age discrimination is a cultural one that would not be changed by the European Court, but a ruling in favour of fairer employment practices would have been a good place to start. Fortunately the High Court has pre-eminence in this matter. It must exercise its own authority by rejecting the ECJ's opinion and supporting an end to compulsory retirement age in the UK."
ENDS
