The time for forced retirement has passed. People work for about 40 years, pay the required monthly stamps and then are pensioned off. That is all well and good.

After that, every pensioner starts getting impoverished, with the pay packet starved up for years and no sign of improvement while utilities’ prices rise, ever up. No wonder pensioners are among the poorest of the population.

Every pensioner is an individual and should have the right to find work to help his economic situation or to find contentment. There was a time when women had to leave their job on marriage. There was also a time when pregnant women had to give up their job. Disabled people did not work. Now, thankfully, the world has changed and everybody has the right to take on employment, run the race for life, for as long as one can or wants to. Even foreigners partake of our employment cake.

Discrimination of any sort is illegal. Ageism, like racism, is illegal too. Gays have the right to live their life. So why this callous attitude towards pensioners by employers who capriciously end their employment?

Working pensioners contribute to more sales from shops, pay more taxes to the nation, help young families make ends meet and contribute to the economy. Therefore, employers should not make it so difficult for pensioners to find a job, full-time, part-time or reduced hours. Maybe some laws should be amended.

The government is leading by example. There are about 275 pensioners in state employment. There are more pensioners on boards and in ecclesiastical employment, not to mention prime ministers, ministers and presidents.

So forced retirement should be out. Only health, free will or inadequate working practices should make anyone quit a job (forced retirement) or lose a job, like any other ordinary individual.