Chrys
The Nigeria Labour Congress is set to engage President Bola
Tinubu on the agitation for extension of civil servants’ retirement age to 65 years.
The National President, NLC, Joe Ajaero, said on
Sunday that labour was not relenting on
the agitation, which started under the administration of former President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that the NLC had during the 2023 May Day
celebrations appealed to Buhari to extend the retirement age for civil
servants.
But then Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, told
our correspondent that Buhari, in the twilight of his administration, would not
be able to deal with the matter.
“The process to effect that change to 65 years (if it is
accepted by the Federal Government) is a process that cannot be completed
before the end of the tenure of Buhari.
So, I guess the new administration will have to deal with that,” Keyamo
had said.
Already, teachers under the employment of government at all
levels, are enjoying the implementation of a new retirement age.
When asked on Sunday, if the congress would meet with Tinubu
on the matter, the NLC President said, “Yes. Only few other establishments,
including the core civil service, are now left out.
“We are, therefore, demanding that the age of retirement and
length of service in the entire public service, including the civil service, be
reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service.”
Also speaking with our correspondent, the National
Treasurer, NLC, Hakeem Ambali, said, “Yes, we are going to negotiate that, to
avert the imminent crisis and suffering of our members whose Contributory
Pension Deduction were not remitted to their PFAS by a large percentage of
labour employers.
“So that they (workers) are not pushed to premature death
and penury, such window of five years is
expected to form a transition period of normalising the scheme.”
