Issue date: 6-12 Jan Correspondent Mike Billingham Occupation: President United Road Transport Union Subject: Retirement age I ‘
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l's no longer necessary for each adult to work more than 40 hours or more a week, 18 weeks a year, for more than
50 years to produce goods and services necessary to sustain life. Some 57% of men between 60-65 are non-earners, either by choice or necessity and I most Government
• employees—police,
fire and ambulance services included—have to retire before 65, some as early as 55." Would a lower retirement age make more sense asked Billinghatn? Not least for in road transport? Judging by the Government's reluctance to adopt any kind of "social" element in its employment legislation Billingham's request is unlikely to be answered. The increasing mental and physical toll of working long and unsocial hours on overcrowded roads,of ten in poor weather with inadequate facilities, is taking its toll."