WORKERS over the age of 65 will get the same rights to unfair dismissal and redundancy payments as younger employees under new draft measures published this week.

The new laws banning age discrimination in the workplace represent the European Employment Directive's final stage of implementation. If approved by parliament, the regulations would take effect on October 1, 2006.

The draft regulations will ban age discrimination with regard to recruitment, promotion and training and ban all retirement ages below 65, except where objectively justified.

The regulations would not affect the age at which people can claim their state pension, but they will remove the current upper age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights.

For employers, the bill would introduce a duty to consider a staff member's request to work beyond retirement and require them to notify employees in writing at least six months in advance of their intended retirement date.

The move was welcomed by the business community in Worcestershire, especially by firms such as Wrinklies Direct, which aims to combat workplace ageism.

The company is run by Bewdley businessman Peter Saunders, who welcomed the proposals. He said: "Anything which will benefit older people and help them to keep their job or to get work elsewhere is a good thing.

"More often than not businesses will not hire people if they think they are going to get a few years out of them.

"Alternatively, they are keen to get rid of people when they reach a certain age. The more mature person has invaluable experience though and employers should benefit from this.

"I understand that this proposal will ban retirement ages under 65, but I don't think there should be a limit. I think the plans should go further."

Christopher Harvey, policy and representation manager at the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire, welcomed the changes.

He said: "With an ageing population, we are also going to need to allow for flexibility in the way that people work, because there is evidence that people that remain active for longer mentally and physically".