Pensioners protest exclusion in minimum wage committee

The leadership of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), on Monday, protested against the non-inclusion of pensioners’ union in the minimum wage committee slated to be inaugurated tomorrow, Tuesday 30th January 2024.

Daily Trust had reported that President Bola Tinubu approved the inauguration of a 37-man Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with a mandate to recommend and look into the implementation of a new wage for the country.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, had in a letter addressed to officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) among others, conveyed the development.

But the NUP in a letter addressed to Akume, argued that the constitution stipulated that minimum wage and pension are to be reviewed side by side, but while the government is set to inaugurate a committee to negotiate workers’ minimum pay, the reverse seems to be the case for pensioners.

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The pensioners’ union wondered what could have led to the exclusion of pensioners from the committee, adding that they are not aware whether another committee will be set up and inaugurated at a later date to negotiate a review of pensions, or that the government has no plans to review pensions.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the NUP General Secretary, Actor Zal, maintained that the union was urging the SGF to correct the omission or communicate to pensioners the true intent of the government concerning the review of pension.

He said, “With profound respect, we write to draw your attention to the non-inclusion of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners to represent the interest of our members (pensioners) in such a very important Committee on National Minimum Wage about to be inaugurated.

“It is our considered opinion that the Nigeria Union of Pensioners should have been represented in the Committee in the interest of justice and fairness to the Senior Citizens who are worse hit by the economic hardship and have the constitutional ‘locus’ to a five-yearly salary review.”