Call for end to retirement age barrier

A committee of MPs has called on the government to abolish the statutory retirement age.

The Commons work and pensions committee stated that the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 contradict the government's wider social policy.

In a report on the Equality Bill, MPs suggested that older people should be allowed to continue to work without statutory barriers.

This would remove one of the "greatest obstacles" in improving employment opportunities for those of retirement age, the report stated.

Work and pensions committee chairman Terry Rooney also called for an extension of employment tribunal powers.

Tribunals should be allowed to make recommendations for employers to amend their practices or order reinstatement, he said.

And while the committee welcomed plans for an integrated equality duty on all public authorities, it warned against it becoming merely a "tick-box exercise".

The committee completed its inquiry before the publication of the Equality Bill on Monday.

The report entitled, 'The Equality Bill: How disability equality fits within a single Equality Act', made 50 recommendations on the introduction of a single law on fair treatment.

It welcomed the government's intention to "simplify and streamline" current legislation.

But it warned that disability discrimination requires a different approach to other equality laws.

It should be based on the concept that we should treat people differently to accord disabled people equal opportunities, the MPs said.

And the committee noted that the government still has a long way to go in achieving employment equality for disabled people, carers and older workers.

It warned that the employment rate for people with mental illness, phobias or panic remained substantially lower than those with other impairments, at around 10 per cent.

The Equality Bill also failed to address flexible working for carers and does not provide them with a right to request reasonable adjustment in the workplace.

Rooney stated: "Our committee warmly welcomes the increased simplicity the Equality Bill will bring to understanding and complying with discrimination law.

"However, the evidence we took persuaded us that more needs to be done to ensure that the right approach is taken with regard to disability discrimination.

"This by nature should be based on treating people differently in order to encourage equal opportunities."