When extension of working lives is in the agenda of the EU institutions and of most European countries, concrete measures need to be taken to make work possible and sustainable for older workers. These mesures comprise working conditions -especially working time arrangements-, health and safety measures to adapt work to the worker's physical and mental conditions, training, anti-discrimination measures, as well as raising consciousness of older workers' contribution. The social partners should have a major role in promoting changes in regulations or participating in discussions on the adequacy of proposed policies, but they should also intervene through collective bargaining. In Spain the Government outlined in 2011 -at the initiative of the social partners- a global strategy (Strategy 55+) to tackle with older workers' low employment rates. This document included quite innovative proposals -such as shorter working hours with a compensatory benefit-, but they have not been implemented, as any initiative apart from delaying the statutory retirement age or restricting access to anticipated or partial retirement was abandoned after a change in government. The social partners, who should have actively participated in the Strategy's development, have not sufficiently claimed for its application
