Still an outlier, and something I have no idea why unions campaign for.
Idealism.
Retire at retirement age, having worked all your life on the railway. With a good railway pension. Make room for young person, starting on the railway. Job for life.
All nice and neat.
Ideal even.
Yes indeed, but for those whose lives take unforeseen turns, and who may therefore need to keep working beyond an arbitrary retirement age, it seems bizzare that their own union would have argued for their employer to be able to get rid of them.
I believe that people should be free to continue to work for as long as they need or want to, so long as they remain medically fit, regardless of age.
Real world.
Person joins railway in their 50s. Did have a pension in their workplace, but a miltary coup, and a collapse of the currency in their country of origin means its worth less than one British penny, so they only have what they can make on the railway between their 50s and when they feel ready for retirement to put in their railway pension. Fortunately, the TOC where they work does not have Employer Justified Retirement Age (EJRA), and they retire at 70.*
--------------
[Unreliable] Driver A: "I've messed up [yet] again/been 'off sick' [yet] again and am on MFA stage 9(!)"
Union: "We've got your back"
[Reliable] Driver B: "I've reached state retirement age."
Union: "See ya!"
Driver B: "But my daughter has been left in a financial mess by her ex-husband, and I just need need to do an extra year or two to help her and the grandchildren out."
Union: "Sorry, we pushed for an Employer Justified Retirement Age at this TOC. You can always get a job at B & Q, or maybe a fly by night FOC that we have no recognition at, and much worse pay, terms and conditions."
Driver B: "But I work here. I have a job here. I just want to stay a bit longer!"
Union: "Hard luck. I can't believe you are trying to take a good job with good terms and conditions away from a 21 year old in the queue to join the railway! How selfish."
Driver B: "But it's MY job! Why can't they have Driver A's job if that's your concern?!"
Union: "Because Driver A's job is Driver A's job, and we'll defend that. Your job isn't your job when you reach retirement age. It's a 21 year olds [even if it's actually really given to someone in their 50s]."
--------
I believe Avanti West Coast and Cross Country have EJRA in place.
*Based on a true story.