The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has intensified its call for improved welfare for retired workers, insisting that pensioners deserve better financial security after years of service to the nation.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Godwin Abumisi Pensioners’ Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja on Sunday, NLC President Joe Ajaero said organised labour would no longer campaign for workers’ welfare without giving equal attention to the plight of retirees.
According to him, the Congress is seeking the introduction of a national minimum pension while also demanding the prompt payment of outstanding pension arrears.
“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,” Ajaero said.
The labour leader described the condition of many pensioners as a “historical injustice,” arguing that Nigerians who devoted their productive years to public service should not be left to struggle financially after 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 stated.
Ajaero lamented that rising inflation and the increasing cost of living have further eroded the value of pensions, leaving many retirees unable to meet their basic needs.
He stressed that pensioners should not be forced to survive on what he described as “poverty wages,” noting that every retiree deserves to enjoy a dignified life after decades of service.
“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 urged pensioners to remain united and support the labour movement’s campaign for improved retirement benefits, assuring them that the NLC would continue to press the government to clear all outstanding pension arrears and establish a pension regime that guarantees dignity and financial security 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 added.
