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Old 17th Jul 2018, 16:11
  #111 (permalink)  
slip and turn
 
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Originally Posted by aterpster
I presume you mean in the U.K.
I presume that because UK law complies with EC Directives, then Trossie might mean as in all 28 enlightened countries of EU - i.e. in Europe alone, there is a documented legal consensus on discrimination law ruling the lives of some 512 million on this planet, which makes the 325 million less recently enlightened among the other well known group of some united and some not so united States, look a bit stale and pale by comparison!

Granted that due to one or two notable and supposed actual protected (?) or unofficially protected/"hands off our nice little earner" status jobs still pervading in some parts of EU, there are still one or two examples plaguing some industry sectors both ways on the basis of age (you have to join the club in a narrow age band window, and then you have to agree to retire from it early). Yes, even EU exhibits the odd conspicuous example of where some still get away with failing to practice even the spirit of what its lawmakers long ago started to preach.

In this thread we are discussing "the old one" who is making waves to avoid compulsory retirement as a pilot, and in another aviation example, we have at least one ATC organisation who not only retire 'em early, but still think they can unashamedly discriminate on the ages of new applicants for training until they get forced not to.

Eurocontrol still has an unbelievably low age 25 age bar, and they baldly state right there on their website: "We do not make exceptions to the age limit – for two reasons. Firstly, younger trainees have a better chance of success. Secondly, controllers usually retire at 55. You need to build up a reasonable pension, so the longer you work, the better for your future pension." which I'd love to have seen tested long ago as it is so much Neanderthal stereotyped bollox unless they have immediately available documentary research evidence showing they can without fail objectively justify using age as a proxy for sifting the best candidates. I wonder who that "You" is who needs "to build up a reasonable pension"? Ah that might be the IJAIA's ("I'm Jack and I'm Alright") already sitting comfortably within the organisation, controlling the gates to future riches, and seniority in that branch of aviation. Funny thing is, I'm close to what many might suggest is the third age - will they make an exception to assist me in bolstering my eventual pension prospects? Why not? Will they to buggery ...bloody small-minded bigots.

Unless someone can show me a legally bulletproof reason why not, I'd say if anyone aged over 25 reading this has the energy and wherewithall, and if they fancied applying to be a trainee air traffic controller, Eurocontrol is surely there for the taking (i.e. straight to court for a test case to get the age bar removed). No ifs, no buts, just a piece of paper from Eurocontrol saying we appreciate you visited our website and tried to apply but you were turned down by our published FAQ #1. Such a denied application should be enough to kick off a very straightforward case. I reckon a new 2018 result bringing that particular outfit into line would certainly help Captain Bayley invalidate the nonsense the bigots spout about the mandatory retirement case for pilots. It's taken far too long for case law to get developed on this gnarly subject in the aviation sector, mostly due to still pervasive deeply entrenched cultural bias in perhaps the majority of parts, and intransigence, but there's no real excuse, is there?

Last edited by slip and turn; 17th Jul 2018 at 16:25.
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