Companies in the UK can continue to force employees to retire at 65 without breaking EU rules the European Court of Justice ruled. The court backed the compulsory retirement age as long as it has a ‘legitimate aim’ and was related to ‘employment policy, the labour market or vocational training’. The case must now return to the High Court which will have to decide whether the aims of the government’s retirement age are legitimate. Age Concern, which took the case to court, is calling for an end to the default age saying it sends out mixed messages and argues that the government now has to ‘prove’ why forced retirement ages are needed.
