AGE discrimination should be addressed in the new constitution, says Ba resident Salochna Mani.
She told the Constitution Commission there was a needed to review the provision of people retiring from work at 55 years of age under the current system.
"It is a pity for the people retiring at the age of 55," she said.
Mrs Mani continued: "We have been hearing of no discrimination by sex and age. And I need to raise a question if the retirement age is 55, then what is the recruitment age?
"My second submission is for the Fiji National Provident Fund to give allowances from the education assistance scheme. I appreciate what they are doing by giving school fees but I want the FNPF to also give allowances from the scheme, after all it comes from members' accounts.
"I guess when people are alive they can make use of these monies because they earned them."
Responding to Mrs Mani's submission over the 55 year retirement age, commission member Professor Satendra Nandan said one of the principles they were guided by was the elimination of discrimination of every kind whether it was racial, sexual or age.
"It's a very important issue, in many countries now people can go on teaching, lecturing, doing the work they are doing as you rightly said, they are very experienced and valuable until they are 80 years and more.
"In Australia and New Zealand and in other European countries there is no retirement age at all. It is an important issue for Fiji because we cannot lose experienced people from the workforce," Prof Nandan said.