Organized Labour Seeks Public Servants Retirement Age Review

On Monday, May 1, the Organised Labour pushed for reviewing the retirement age for all public servants in Nigeria.

Candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded presidential election, Peter Obi, was present at the Eagles Square Abuja today as the union raised their concerns.

Naija News reports that Nigeria marks the Workers’ Day Celebration today with the theme, ‘Workers’ Rights and Socioeconomic Justice’.

Past and present leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), as well as those of other affiliate unions, were also present at the occasion today in Abuja.

In his remark at the event, the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said equity, fairness and justice underpin the survival of societies and creates resilience for nations amid upheavals and turbulence, noting that Nigeria needs the presence of this mass to jump-start the process of development.

He said poor wages, abuse of workplace rights and privileges, and unpaid salaries strip workers of their rights. About the retirement age, the NLC asked that the retirement of 60 to 65 years civil servants be reviewed from 35 years to 40 years of service.

Speaking also at the event, the President of the TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo, decried the state of the economy, which according to him, is on autopilot, struggling to survive while those engaged in managing it have kept throwing filth and injecting toxins into it.

He described it as unfortunate, a situation in which the country is led by men and women who delight in enacting policies detrimental to the nation’s progress, including the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) currency redesigning policy.

Also in attendance at the event is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello; and the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen.

Naija News understands that this year’s May Day is the last under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.