The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to begin a nationwide campaign for a review of the national minimum wage, while also demanding the introduction of a national minimum pension to improve the welfare of retirees.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Godwin Abumisi Pensioners’ Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja, Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said organised labour would no longer advocate for improved wages for workers without simultaneously seeking better living conditions for pensioners.
According to Ajaero, the welfare of retirees deserves the same level of attention as that of serving workers, particularly as rising inflation and the increasing cost of living continue to erode the value of pensions.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress is currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage,” Ajaero said.
“However, it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.”
Describing the situation as a longstanding injustice, he said many Nigerians who had dedicated their productive years to national service now face hardship in retirement.
“It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement,” he said.
Ajaero noted that soaring inflation and the sustained rise in the cost of living have further worsened the plight of pensioners, making it increasingly difficult for many retirees to meet their basic needs.
He therefore called on pensioners nationwide to remain united as organised labour prepares to intensify its advocacy for improved retirement benefits.
“We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” he said.
Ajaero added that the NLC would continue to press for the immediate settlement of outstanding pension arrears and reforms that would guarantee adequate income for retirees.
“We will continue to demand the immediate payment of all outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension regime that guarantees every retiree a life of dignity and security,” he said.
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