NLC Pushes For Higher Minimum Wage, Guaranteed Pension For Retirees

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to begin a nationwide campaign for a review of the national minimum wage while also advocating for the introduction of a national minimum pension to improve the welfare of retired workers.

NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, made the announcement during the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja.

Ajaero stressed that the welfare of pensioners should receive the same level of attention as that of serving workers, insisting that organised labour would no longer push for improved salaries without also demanding better conditions for retirees.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress is currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage,” he said.

He added:

“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.”

According to the labour leader, the NLC’s campaign will focus not only on securing a new minimum wage but also on establishing a national minimum pension that guarantees retired Nigerians a decent standard of living.

Ajaero described the current situation facing many pensioners as unacceptable.

“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.

He noted that the rising cost of living, alongside increasing prices of food, healthcare and transportation, has made survival increasingly difficult for many retirees.

“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,” Ajaero said.

The NLC president called on pensioners across the country to remain united and prepare for the campaign ahead, describing the newly inaugurated Legacy House as a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity.

He also urged Nigerian workers to remain united in defending their collective interests, assuring them that the labour movement would continue to demand the settlement of outstanding pension arrears and reforms that guarantee 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.