An Age Concern/ICM poll has found that 76 per cent of workers are opposed to being forced to retire at a fixed age.

The charity is launching its "business pledge", urging employers to commit themselves to age equality in the workplace.

A spokesman for the DWP told ePolitix.com: "We need to make better use of the talent and wealth of experience that older people possess.

"The government has taken steps to help older people remain in work if they choose to and while they have started to produce results, we need to go much further.

"Economic success and the commercial success of businesses depend on all groups playing a full part in the world of work.

"In 20 to 30 years time, we expect there to be fewer 20-50 year olds in relative terms than there are now.

"In this context we need more of our older people to remain in work."

Forum Response: Age Concern

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said:"Business leaders have a huge role to play in shaping the way we see age: we simply cannot respond to the challenge of our ageing society without them.

"We have set ourselves an ambitious target to work with the business community to ensure that age equality is delivered, providing real benefits to business, older workers and the UK economy - and are encouraged that Nationwide, a major High Street name, is the first to sign our Business Pledge."

Forum Response: Nationwide

Philip Williamson, chief executive of Nationwide, said: "We are committed to making the most of our unique asset - our people. We have first-hand experience of the genuine business benefits of employing a diverse workforce in terms of age, race and gender.

"We wish to support Age Concern's work because we believe that valuing the contribution of each individual is not only good for our employees, it's good for our business too."

Forum Response: Counsel and Care

Martin Green, chief executive of Counsel and Care, told ePolitix.com: "I welcome the poll's findings. I hope that flexibility in retirement age will be down to choice rather than compulsion."

Forum Response: Institute of Directors

A spokesman for the IoD told ePolitix.com: "Our own survey evidence shows that the majority of employers value and appreciate older workers.

"As the workforce in general ages through demographic changes more and more businesses will develop flexible approaches to working hours for older workers.

"However, it is up to the government to raise or scrap compulsory retirement ages."

Forum Response: Association of Retired and Persons Over 50

Don Steele, director of social policy at ARP/O50, told ePolitix.com: "ARP/050 warmly welcomes this Age Concern initiative to encourage age diversity in the workplace.

"The misguided policies generated in the 1980s which resulted in a flight from the workforce of more than a third of workers over 50 and at the same time robbed pension funds to pay their 'golden handshakes' must now be reversed.

"At the same time there must be no coercion of workers for economic reasons. Older people must retain the right to choose and early retirement not be stigmatised.

"There must be flexibility on all sides, including part-time working and training opportunities.

"The prospective benefits to both industry and the individual have been clearly demonstrated and it is to be hoped that the move toward positive change will be further encouraged by the adoption of the Business Pledge"

Forum Response: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Dianah Worman, adviser on diversity at the CIPD, said: "Some organisations still think that older workers are 'past it' and are stereotyping the over 50s. Some have no concept of dignity and do not give consideration to the feelings of older people who are keen to continue to make a contribution."

"We know that people are very often willing to be flexible in the last few years of their working lives and organisations should be looking to tap into the talent, skills and experience of these older workers.

"We are a few years away from this legislation - but organisations need to tackle age discrimination and be better at recognising the benefits of a skilled and experienced workforce.

"We are moving in the right direction, and if more organisations can think creatively about the employment and retention of older workers by, for example, bringing in flexible or phased retirement, part-time working or job sharing, we will start to see real progress."

Forum Response: Help the Aged

A spokesman for Help the Aged told ePolitix.com: "Flexibility is key in prompting age equality in the workplace.

"There needs to be a concerted attack on age discrimination long before 2006, including re-training opportunities for older people, re-organising employment practices (such as part-time working) in a more older-friendly way, and looking at the inducements and fringe benefit packages offered to older workers."