Comment
Call to arms at COTA congress
The Council on the Ageing (COTA) held its first national congress, entitled ‘Older Australians: A Working Future?’ in November 1999. Veronica Sheen, COTA’s national policy officer reports on the outcomes of the congress.
The congress agreed to a call to arms by all mature workers to combat the endemic age based discrimination that exists in Australian employment practices. Specifically, the congress agreed to the development of a partnership between COTA, other organizations representing mature aged workers, governments, employers and business organizations, trade unions, academic researchers, and the mature unemployed themselves, to address and seek solutions to this insidious problem.
This partnership will lead to the development of broadly based strategies which can overcome the discrimination evident in employment practices within Australia which see both the old and the young disadvantaged in seeking employment.
The congress called on both Commonwealth and State Governments to take leading roles in the development of targeted employment programmes. The congress asked governments to ensure that their own employment practices lead the way in maintaining a balanced workforce which maintains respect for the contribution of older workers.
To achieve a change in attitudes will require a commitment by governments to influencing a shift in employer attitudes and practice.
The business community in turn, through its various peak bodies, must accept responsibility for ensuring that accurate information about mature workers is conveyed to their members. We call on them to commit to working in partnership with us in seeking practical solutions to overcoming the myths and stereotypes that persist and disadvantage mature workers.
The congress rejected the myths and stereotypes that perpetuate negative attitudes towards mature aged workers. Many studies show that mature workers can be:
• more productive than their younger counterparts;
• capable of flexible work practices;
• amenable to change; and
• well capable of being retrained.
These studies show that mature workers provide stability, experience and the ability to mentor younger workers.
Denys Correll, COTA (Australia)’s national executive director, welcomed the involvement of the community, government and academic participants in the congress. He said "that the next step will be to engage employers and the business community in the debate and to change their attitudes to mature workers".
The congress attracted around 250 delegates from every Australian State and Territory and from New Zealand. The extensive media coverage indicated the timeliness of the congress theme. It featured a range of speakers including the Federal Minister for Aged Care, the Hon. Bronwyn Bishop, MP, and the South Australian Ageing Minister, the Hon. Robert Lawson together with leading commentators such as Dr. Don Edgar and Professors Graeme Hugo and Sol Encel.
COTA will be holding a congress again in November 2000, this time in Melbourne.
