Police unions complain of age discrimination in retirement plea to equality watchdog
But bid by their union may be futile as city has no law onage discrimination
The police unions have taken their fight to lift the mandatory retirement age for serving officers to the equality watchdog, accusing the government of age discrimination.
But they might be disappointed as Hong Kong does not have a law against age discrimination.
In January, the government announced that from June new recruits to the civil and disciplined services would work five more years before retirement. New civil servants will work until 65 and new disciplined services employees, including police officers and firefighters, until 60.
The move angered unions who want the changes to apply to existing staff, who have to apply for an extension to carry on working. Unions say new recruits are being unfairly favoured.
"The incumbents and new recruits will not compete on equal terms, and incumbents will likely be discriminated against because of their age," says a letter to the Equal Opportunities Commission signed by Joe Chan Cho-kwong, head of the Junior Police Officers' Association, with the backing of the city's three other police unions.
"Therefore, we hope you can look into this policy, which is of a discriminative nature. If unfairness is found, we hope you can explain to the government in a professional and impartial manner, and fight for equal opportunities for 170,000 civil servants," the letter said.
An EOC spokesman said: "We will study the issue and then reply to the association."
He added that although the city's laws prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, family status and race - the "six prohibited grounds" - "there is currently no law against age discrimination in Hong Kong".
An EOC survey last September found almost one in five employees had experienced discrimination in the workplace - with two-thirds saying it was because of their age.
"The government should … perhaps consider the necessity of having anti-age-discrimination legislation," said Dr John Tse Wing-ling, convenor of the watchdog's policy and research committee, at the time.
Last month the Civil Service Bureau agreed for the first time to offer "some" staff members priority if they applied for an extension of their retirement age.
