The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is to meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss raising the retirement age for civil officials to 65 years.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, told newsmen on Sunday that the agitation, which began during the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari, would continue during Tinubu’s administration.
During the 2023 May Day celebrations, the NLC urged Buhari to raise the retirement age for federal officials.
However, Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour, warned our correspondent that Buhari, who is nearing the end of his presidency, will be unable to deal with the issue.
“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.
Teachers employed by the government at all levels are already benefiting from the establishment of a new retirement age.
When asked on Sunday if the NLC would meet with Tinubu on the issue, the NLC President responded “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, NLC National Treasurer Hakeem Ambali stated, “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”
