Tinubu promises tough decisions, NLC ask for new retirement age

President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has promised to take tough and hard decisions to reposition the country for the benefit of the citizens and workers.

He solicited the people’s cooperation and support for his incoming administration in fighting poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, and ethnic and religious hate, which he described as “common enemies.”

The President-elect said these in a statement to commemorate the 2023 Workers’ Day on Monday just as the Nigeria Labour Congress demanded that the retirement age for civil servants should be raised to 65 years and the length of service to 40 years.

The pledge by the former Lagos State governor is coming against the backdrop of the high inflation, huge foreign debts, infrastructure deficit, high youth unemployment and insecurity confronting the country.




In the statement titled, ‘President-elect’s solidarity message to Nigerian Workers on International Workers’ Day,’ Tinubu said his ‘Renewed-Hope Agenda for a Better Nigeria’ was a covenant he was prepared to keep.

However, the former Lagos senator revealed that the ensuing weeks after his inauguration would require doggedness as the public service reforms he hopes to implement would require tough decisions.

“My plans for better welfare and working conditions are clearly spelt out in my Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. It is a covenant borne of conviction and one I am prepared to keep.

“In Nigeria, I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage, to have a decent life and provide for your families.

“The days ahead will, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu demands cooperation

While extending a hand of fellowship to the organised labour, he assured that they would find in him an ally and fellow crusader for social and economic justice for all Nigerians.

He also promised to keep his pledge for better working conditions for the workers as espoused in his agenda for the country.

He noted, ‘’On this special day, as your President-elect, I extend my hands of friendship to the Nigerian workers through the two central labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.

“In me, you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people.

“Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you. My plans for better welfare and working conditions are clearly spelt out in my Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. It is a covenant born of conviction and one I am prepared to keep.”

Addressing workers during the May Day event at Eagle Square in Abuja, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero,  asked for a fresh retirement age for civil servants in the country.

Ajaero also called for a general review of core civil servants’ salaries to narrow the gap between other civil servants’ emoluments and those in other segments of the public service.

He said that the extension of years of service should go around, as it had been done in other sectors of the public service in the country, disclosing that only a 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, ” he said.

Ajaero said that the union had, over the years, demanded salary review but had yet to receive the Federal Government’s attention.

“It is necessary to recall that we have continued over the years to demand that the salaries of core civil servants be beefed up to narrow the gap between their emoluments and those in other segments of the public service.

“They all possess the same educational qualifications and cognate experience on the job. So why the disparity?” Ajaero queried.

NLC on gratuities

On gratuity payment, the NLC president said union leaders had, on several occasions, presented the issue to the government without any positive response.

He noted, ‘’Fellow comrades, we have consistently presented the issue of gratuity payment to the government but nothing has been done in that regard.

“As you are all aware, the concept of gratuity payment to employees is predicated on the fact that those who have laboured for public institutions or private enterprises are entitled to the proverbial golden handshake from their employers.

“Thus, gratuity is a monetary benefit given by an employer to his/her employee at the time of retirement without the worker making any financial contribution whatsoever to the fund.” Makesense PM reports,

According to him, such a lump sum was meant to enable the retiree to finance any post-retirement endeavour of his/her choice.

https://makesensepromotions.com/tinubu-promises-tough-decisions-nlc-demands-new-retirement-age/

cc: mynd44 , seun

65years retirement age, this people have been working and earning salary for over 30yrs as public servants and now want to add another 5yrs. How them go take employ younger generation?
This men should stop this entitlement mentality and focus more on improving their retirement gratuity so they can establish businesses where they would become managers themselves and use their experience to recruit and manage younger generations instead of all this cajoling themselves with fear of being irrelevant in the future.

jumper524:
65years retirement age, this people have been working and earning salary for over 30yrs as public servants and now want to add another 5yrs. How them go take employ younger generation?
This men should stop this entitlement mentality and focus more on improving their retirement gratuity so they can establish businesses where they would become managers themselves and use their experience to recruit and manage younger generations instead of all this cajoling themselves with fear of being irrelevant in the future.

That's the wickedness of the average Nigerian we are talking about!

Promise from twitter page….

Tinubu takes tough decisions. That you can be sure of