After a flurry of support from the House of Lords all seems to have gone quiet on the retirement age issue: no date from the High Court for the Heyday case, no proper date for the government review of the retirement age and the absence of pronouncements from ministers. Of course, the recession plus MP’s expenses may have take the stuffing out. Events in universities seem like shifting sands. There has if anything been a tightening of regulations.
Please contribute to this page with your own story or news from academic colleagues.
Ed.
The European Court of Justice has thrown the decision-making back the UK High Court. It does not look good. Although we are not qualified to give a legal assessment, a guess is that unless the High Court makes a real stand the battles will be fought in the pending employment tribunal cases on a case-by-case basis. If that happens the Government should at the very least bring forward the 2011 BERR review rather than just sit and watch the carnage for two years.
Check the link opposite.
More soon, views please.
Ed
The much awaited European Court of Justice hearing in the “Heyday case” is set for 9.30 am 5 March 2009, Third Chamber, C-388/07.
Let us hope that the ECJ stands up for our right to continue in employment past 65 and does not allow itself to be bullied by vested interests. A landmark decision, please!
Ed
Well, we have had a debate (see the link) with some good contributions, except from the Government Minister Lord Carter who says:
“We are monitoring the legislation, as we said we would in our impact assessment, in preparation for the review that we have committed to publicly. The legislation needs some time to bed in so that we can properly judge its effectiveness.”
Oh dear!
Much of the argument is a kind of pseudo “evidence-based” argument. It is not really about rights. But ….. OK, lets ask some questions. What proportion of employees requested to stay on but were refused? What proportion of those received adequate explanation for the refusal? How many of those who requested felt humiliated by having to apply for their own jobs?
And what on earth does the term “effectiveness” mean. I may be naive but I thought that reviews had to have assessment criteria. Can we have some, please?
And what form is this “monitoring” taking? I still cannot find any evidence of it. Happy to be proved wrong.
I see a reference in the Minister’s speech to a consultation which ends on 30 March. Help please in finding the details of this (I suspect it is not really about retirement).
Ed
PS: see Bill’s letter in the Guardian (link)
We are very gratified to see that the Ditch the Retirement Age Campaign is gathering pace, with the possibility of a debate in the Lords. See the link!
Now is the time for us academics to weigh in with letters to Baroness Sally Greengross who is asking for a debate in the Lords. You can also sign a petition at No 10 (see the link).
Well done to Mike Berry and colleagues.
Ed
