Welcoming the signing of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill into law by President Connolly, Irish Congress of Trade Unions general secretary Owen Reidy said:
“This new law recognises the differences between what workers want and the types of work they do. It gives them more choice on the age they retire from their job.
“Unions have long campaigned on behalf of the sizeable and growing number of workers who find themselves forced to retire earlier than they would wish because of the age of retirement in their employment contract, usually 65. Meanwhile, not a week passes without alarm bells sounded over population ageing and raising pension costs.
“The last government had committed in 2022 to legislating to allow, but not compel, a worker to remain in their job until age 66, in line with the qualifying age for the State pension, with an expectation that the new right would be in force from January this year.
“Thousands of workers who turned 65 have had their working life cut short by foot-dragging on getting this legislation done. It cannot be left to sit on a shelf gathering dust. Urgent action is needed from Minister Burke to make the necessary resources available to the WRC to speedily develope the code of practice. Any further delay in this new workers’ right coming into force must be avoided."
Mr Reidy added: “Under the Act, workers can still retire at the age specified in their contract of employment. The decision to remain on past 65 will be optional.”
ENDS
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions called for this legislation to align mandatory retirement ages in employment contracts with the pension qualify age where an employee does not consent to the company’s retirement age in our submission to the Pensions Commission, which the Commission in turn recommended in 2021.
Legislation increased the compulsory retirement age to 70 for most public services workers in 2018.
