Contract is a contract
I may be looking at this in a simplified manner, but if 2 parties sign a contract that is within the scope of a country's law that is fine. If one signee of the contract wants to vary it then it is done through negotiation to the satisfaction of both parties?
The suggestions by some are implying, as an example, if I signed up for a 12 month contract and it ends after 12 months, why should I complain that this is not fair and then take the company to court to argue I should be on a longer contract?
Likewise the retirement issue.
Betty Girl, I see what you are arguing but at the end of the day it is a contract (a local one at that)
If there is a law in China at the time of this lady's retirement said that this was illegal then the Union should be taking it up in the chinese courts.
Many staff around the world that are employed by BA are on local contracts. Are you going to tell those in the UAE, for example, that they must take a pay cut to the UK rates and pay UK tax. I can see that going down like a lead balloon.
Do you remember a few years back a number of stewardesses (CSDs I think) took BA to court because they were forced to retire at 55. They lost the case because there was nothing in law that said people could stay on until 65 if they wished. A couple of years later the law changed to what we have now. Then, IIRC, there were complaints that the Cabin Crew could not retire at 55 on FULL pension, they would have to wait until they were 65.
Personally if I had the opportunity to retire at 55 on full pension, I would take it (and yes I know that crew paid more into the pension scheme so that they could get the full pension benefits on retirement. I would have liked to have done the same)