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| Challenge over forced retirement | Challenge over forced retirement |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Anti-ageism campaigners will challenge the government in the High Court later over a law that allows employers to force workers into retirement. | Anti-ageism campaigners will challenge the government in the High Court later over a law that allows employers to force workers into retirement. |
| The Heyday organisation, with the backing of Age Concern, will ask the High Court to look into the legality of mandatory retirement ages. | |
| Introduced in October with measures to outlaw ageism, mandatory retirement ages allow bosses to retire over-65s. | Introduced in October with measures to outlaw ageism, mandatory retirement ages allow bosses to retire over-65s. |
| The government says it acted properly in implementing European rules. | The government says it acted properly in implementing European rules. |
| The new age discrimination laws came into force in the UK in October in the biggest single change to employment practices in 30 years. | The new age discrimination laws came into force in the UK in October in the biggest single change to employment practices in 30 years. |
| What the government had hoped with the default retirement age was that it would become a sort of voluntary agreement Sam MercerEmployers' Forum on Age | |
| The new laws - the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 - are the result of a European directive on employment. | The new laws - the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 - are the result of a European directive on employment. |
| They make it unlawful to discriminate against workers under the age of 65 on the grounds of age. | They make it unlawful to discriminate against workers under the age of 65 on the grounds of age. |
| The rules affect recruitment, training, promotion, redundancy, retirement, pay and pension provision. | The rules affect recruitment, training, promotion, redundancy, retirement, pay and pension provision. |
| But it will be argued in the High Court on Wednesday that the regulation fails to protect people over the age of 65 who still want to work. | But it will be argued in the High Court on Wednesday that the regulation fails to protect people over the age of 65 who still want to work. |
| Heyday, which represents older people, believes the law contravenes the European Equal Treatment Directive by not giving pensioners the right to choose. | Heyday, which represents older people, believes the law contravenes the European Equal Treatment Directive by not giving pensioners the right to choose. |
| It will also claim that the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people approaching retirement age could be better protected. | It will also claim that the jobs of hundreds of thousands of people approaching retirement age could be better protected. |
| 'Forced out' | |
| Sam Mercer, from the Employers' Forum on Age, told BBC Five Live: "What the government had hoped with the default retirement age was that it would become a sort of voluntary agreement - employers and employees would have a grown-up conversation about how long they wanted to continue working. | |
| "Now while that may be happening for some people, for others they're being forced out." | |
| The government maintains it has fully and properly implemented the rules and has already promised to review the mandatory retirement ages in five years. | The government maintains it has fully and properly implemented the rules and has already promised to review the mandatory retirement ages in five years. |
| But Heyday's action, if successful, could force ministers to act sooner. | But Heyday's action, if successful, could force ministers to act sooner. |