News
Joan Bakewell Steps Down as Voice of Older People
16 April 2010
EFA pay tribute to Dame Joan's hard work.Further to the news that Dame Joan Bakewell is stepping down from her position as the Voice of Older People, Rachel Krys, campaign director of leading age campaigners, the Employers Forum on Age (EFA), commented:
"Joan Bakewell has been a strong supporter of the Employers Forum on Age, and has achieved more than many would have thought possible since she agreed to take up her position in November 2008. Her support behind ending the default retirement age has been useful in keeping the issue on the media agenda, and the association of someone with her high profile and personality has been a tremendous asset to this campaign.
Now that all major political parties have committed to the removal of the DRA at 65, many employers will need to be preparing for the challenges of successfully providing more flexible arrangements for extending working lives. This is particularly important as society will be faced with the challenge of adjusting to the requirements of the new Equality Act, which will extend the ban on age discrimination into areas outside the workplace.
Whilst we acknowledge that public finances are severely stretched, we believe that the increased focus on age issues that a full-time Commissioner would bring over this critical period could be a real benefit. We hope that the new Government will take Joan's comments on board about creating a full-time professional job."