Older workers would be at risk if super age lifted, study finds

5.00pm - BY SHARON LUNDY

Older workers in manual jobs would suffer if the eligibility age for government superannuation was raised beyond 65, a study has shown.

The Older Worker Employment Transition study, conducted by Massey University researchers, looked at 94 workers aged 50 to 69 who were employed in the meat processing and clothing industries.

It found raising the eligibility age would be "extremely onerous" for most workers in manual jobs.

"Policy debate about the continued upward indexing of government-funded superannuation must heed the reality of physical degradation for manual workers," the study report said.

However, it also found workers wanted to make their own choice about when to retire, which the authors believed affirmed the abolition of compulsory retirement on grounds of age.

About 25 per cent of the workers in the study said they would not retire when they were 65, but would continue to work as long as they were physically able.

"The real issue is the ability to complete an entire job, which takes into account experience, which shows that older workers are generally just as effective," the report said.

"As so many interviewees said, they know when they are 'dragging the chain'.".

Many older workers placed greater significance on looking after themselves and knew to manage tasks in a way to avoid injury.

"... the mature workers were less likely to engage in hell-raising behaviour and were consequently in a healthier state when they arrived for work.

"Mature workers appeared to be conserving their efforts for work but consequently talked about sacrificing their social life -- something they looked forward to retrieving in their retirement."

Money was not the driving factor for all mature workers, with almost 30 per cent saying they would go to work on Monday if they won Lotto at the weekend.

However, for most the opportunity to retire at 65 and receive government superannuation represented a chance to escape the "drudgery" of work, the study concluded.

"The opportunity to work or follow interests that are more manageable in terms of physical and mental stress was something many interviewees looked forward to."

- NZPA