MAKING people work longer will not help youth unemployment, says the chairman of a Huddersfield pensioners group.

Noreen Logan, chairman of the Huddersfield and District Pensioners’ Organisation, was responding to reports that the government wants to bring the public sector retirement age in line with the state pension.

It will mean that most employees will have to work until the age of 66.

But Noreen Logan says that it’s a policy they oppose, saying: “We’re talking about the public sector, teachers and the like, and although they’re not doing jobs like the miners or the weavers, it is still a stressful job and can be arduous.

“Imagine a 68-year-old having to relate to 15, 16 or 17-year-olds for several hours a day over 30 weeks.

“I don’t think it’s very good and I don’t think it will work.

“We all know about youth unemployment – people are already queuing up for jobs.

“This is going back to the 30s where people were working for as long as they could and then when they could work no longer got rid of and younger people were brought in.”

The announcement from Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander came as he warned workers that it would be a “colossal mistake” to spurn the Government’s pensions deal and sacrifice the best offer they will be made “for years to come”.

The government announced yesterday that the public sector retirement age – currently 60 in some cases – must rise to 66 by 2020, with exemptions for certain occupations, such as firefighters, police and the military.

Public sector workers are facing changes to their pensions which, for most, will mean paying more in contributions – on average 3.2% – and working longer.

But ministers insist that the changes are necessary, given spending cuts, rising life expectancy and that most private sector workers do not enjoy such generous pensions.

Ms Logan added: “They’re expecting people to work longer, expecting people to pay more for their pensions, and what they’re trying to do is cut down wages.