Postman in bid to beat retirement

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 05 Dec 2008, 13:07

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfo ... 766786.stm

An Oxfordshire postman has launched a campaign against Royal Mail's policy of compulsory retirement at 65.

Jim Wood, who has been a postman for eight years, said he wants to keep working in West Carterton after his 65th birthday on 16 January.

Mr Wood said his campaign had the support of Conservative leader David Cameron and a person from every home on his round has signed his petition.

"I'm very active and I'm not ready to sit down with nothing to do," he said.

Mr Wood has put in a formal request to Royal Mail to continue working past his 65th birthday, but it has been declined.

"I have still got plenty of energy left, so what is the point in retiring when you can still give the public a service?" he added.

In a statement, Royal Mail said it, like many other companies, has a retirement age of 65 for its staff.

"It is open to any of our people to request to continue working after the age of 65 and this is only granted if the role requires a specialist skill or the vacancy could not be filled in any other way.

"We would stress, in following our retirement policy, the final decision in this particular case is in no way a reflection on the individual's performance or ability to do the job and we wish him well."

LDV 350 · Post by **LDV 350** » 05 Dec 2008, 16:06

No offence to the guy, but he should just get a wee part time job somewhere and enjoy his retirement and free upa full time job for someone with a family to support,

Post by **dvbuk55** » 05 Dec 2008, 16:09

I wish him luck, I too am going to request to carry on beyond my 65th birthday

Post by **Thorby Bislam** » 05 Dec 2008, 16:47

You wont see me for dust.

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 05 Dec 2008, 16:49

He's only been in the job 8 years, maybe he should give it another 8 years and see how his knees are doing.

smokerjim · Post by **smokerjim** » 05 Dec 2008, 18:11

LDV 350 wrote:No offence to the guy, but he should just get a wee part time job somewhere and enjoy his retirement and free upa full time job for someone with a family to support,

Nice sentiment, but you have more chance of Barack Obama joining the KKK than of his job staying FT after he retires.

NWpostie · Post by **NWpostie** » 05 Dec 2008, 21:24

With Pension benefit what it would be in the future, ( probably sh1t) I may consider stopping on part time AND take my Pension at the same time as well to keep my hand in, I have seen too many people retire from RM and the next few months fall flat on their face.....dead

the shock of doing nothing must have killed them.

I would like to continue doing something, something I enjoy doing, if the Pension can be made liveable

I would like to continue working with young people as a Youth worker as I prefer that to RM, I know one guy doing the same thing as me at the ripe old age of 63, he said the teenagers keeps him young

there must be something in that, being busy and doing something useful is the key thing.

Post by **dvbuk55** » 06 Dec 2008, 13:18

NWpostie wrote:With Pension benefit what it would be in the future, ( probably sh1t) I may consider stopping on part time AND take my Pension at the same time as well to keep my hand in, I have seen too many people retire from RM and the next few months fall flat on their face.....dead the shock of doing nothing must have killed them.

I would like to continue doing something, something I enjoy doing, if the Pension can be made liveable I would like to continue working with young people as a Youth worker as I prefer that to RM, I know one guy doing the same thing as me at the ripe old age of 63, he said the teenagers keeps him young there must be something in that, being busy and doing something useful is the key thing.

I took the pension at 60 and went part time on buy down before I turned 60, it gives you more time to get used to not working - strangely enough when I take leave I find it more of a crunch to go back as the years have gone on - so it is likely I will retire before I turn 65, and the sooner the better in some peoples opinion.