Good Morning Britain guests have clashed over whether people in manual jobs should be able to retire and access their pensions earlier than office workers. Co-hosts Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway led the heated debate on the ITV programme as former manual worker Craig Phillips and author Alison Edgar weighed in.
Craig argued that the retirement age for those in blue collar jobs should be lowered to account for the physical demands, but Alison disagreed - pointing out that people have a choice of career and that white collar work is still work. It came after an independent review into the state pension age said the government should look at changing the rules to allow manual workers to access their pot early.
Tory minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe recommended an early access scheme which helps those 'who have performed physically demanding roles over many years'. Her report argued out that people are more likely to leave these roles before state pension age than other workers and have a higher likelihood of developing health problems.
READ MORE: DWP work crackdown to urge more autistic people into employment
On GMB, Craig stated his case by explaining: "I've been in the building industry all of my life. I knew from a young age, when I was probably about 18 or 19, and the wear and tear it was taking physically on your muscles, your bones."
Richard then asked: "How old are you now?" with Craig replying: "51, 52 in October", reported the Express. The presenter continued: "And what state are you in now?" as the guest answered: "I've got aches and pains."
Craig continued: "Yeah, I don't do as much heavy work as I used to, but I often think to myself, if I did carry on doing that level of work, what position will my body be in now? And I'm only 51, you know, so what would I be when I was 67, 68?"
Kate then said: "There's two principles here isn't there? Because a lot of people that have got in touch with us agree with Craig, think it's a good idea that the government is proposing.
"One is the fact that if you have gone to university or some form of you know, graduate training, then you're likely to have not started work [as early] because young people who work in manual jobs often go in at 16, 17, 18 at the absolute latest and they get stuck in and they're doing that manual work for a longer time.
"The other is, [viewer] Pauline sums it up, she says, 'My husband is a 64-year-old roofer, he carried 300-pound rolls of lead last week, he's struggling. It's very easy to feel comfortable with an increased retirement age when the heaviest thing you lift is a briefcase.'"
However, Alison argued: "Ohh, I completely disagree with Craig. Because part of this, if we look, there's a huge skills gap. So we know we look at the doctors and the pension was uncapped, because we want doctors to work longer.
"But if there's nobody to build hospitals, or there's nobody to build things because they're retiring early, then we can't do that. That is unsustainable."
She continued: "I do believe, yeah, I agree with Craig that yes it is manual and it is hard. But people have a choice of which career path they choose.
"And people might start working later, but they're actually paying for that through their university fees. And so I think education as work, I think white-collar work is actually work as well."
Richard also pointed out some office workers suffer with their mental health due to the pressure of their industry. Craig acknowledged this but added: "I agree they're under pressure and distress themselves, but it's not as physical, is it?
"When you're on a building site, you're up against the elements, you know, working in the UK, the weather isn't that good. You're getting cold and damp and you're lifting a lot more things. When I built my house, you know, I was digging up trenches.
"I was in and out in muddy trenches, pouring concrete and cement in there and I was coming home and physically, my body felt battered. To try and maintain that for 20, 30, 40 years of your career, and then expect to have an enjoyable retirement - I don't think it's physically possible."
On Twitter, many viewers agreed with Craig and the government proposal. Sarah Mallinson tweeted: "My husband is a builder and 54 yrs old, the thought of him doing what he does for another 10 years or more is scary."
Christina Beard wrote: "Ask [Alison] to train up and do a manual job like building and see if she still agrees in a few months time." Viva Tiling posted: "I'm 60 this year, I retrained (after redundancy) in 2007 to be a Tiler (self employed) and I'm knackered. I cant last 'til I'm 67."
Magnus Johnson commented: "I agree. Manual workers should be allowed to retire when their bodies don’t allow them to work efficiently. Would you trust a surgeon with Alzheimer’s?" And Tony Pressland added: "Most men in the building industry are knackered by the age of 60."
READ NEXT:
Martin Lewis warns married couples to take action 'today' on issue which could be worth instant £1k
Christine McGuinness responds as Paddy shares 'belter' wedding update
ITV Lorraine viewers and celebs distracted as Ranvir Singh shows off new look
ITV This Morning tribute to Phillip Schofield amid absence from show
