Kissoon’s mandatory retirement age argument is self serving

Jul 31, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Mr. Freddie Kissoon frequently and consistently criticized the government for not removing the age bar on mandatory retirement from government employment. He says Guyana is the only country in the world that has mandatory age retirement for government employees, arguing that such a rule makes no sense.
That is not correct. In fact, almost all Commonwealth countries, following a tradition started by the British, has mandatory retirement after a certain age.
Since Kissoon has reached the age for mandatory retirement at UG, his cry for removing the ban is self serving. Kissoon’s candle at UG (being Shakespearean) will be extinguished in August.
If his advocacy of removing the age ban was done 20 years ago, he would have had support from a lot of people. But not today when he has reached retirement age. It is because he will be out of a job that he is seeking an increase in the age for mandatory retirement, not for some nobler goal.
In principle, I am against mandatory age retirement unless it can be determined that one’s competence at a job is severely diminished after a certain age. America does not have mandatory age retirement but rules are invoked for people seeking renewal of driver’s license after a certain age.
Thus, people can teach well into their 70s or older and many do. In most Commonwealth countries, forced age retirement comes into effect at 60, depending on the job. Some jobs allow an extension up to 62 or 65 but not beyond. In the US, there is a minimum age (55) for retirement though New York State allows some workers to retire at age 50 in order to cut the work force.
What most government institutions do, including Guyana and Trinidad, is employ people on contracts after their forced retirement. Kissoon should seek this avenue and I am certain he would. I don’t think UG would deny him a contract for part time teaching given the shortage of lecturers in UG.
Vishnu Bisram

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Kissoon’s mandatory retirement age argument is self serving

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