The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Ogun State chapter, has accused the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) of insensitivity to the plight of pensioners in spite the fact that NUP was a strong financial member of NLC.
Making the allegation in a press chat yesterday, the Ogun State Secretary of the Union, Comrade Bola Lawal, said that the failure of the NLC to negotiate for an increase in the monthly take-home of pensioners and its inactivity to matters concerning the pensioners nationwide showed that the leadership of the NLC neglected the senior citizens.
According to Lawal, “What brought about our accusation was the failure of NLC to demand an increase in pensions for Nigerian pensioners on each occasion that minimum wage was approved for workers.”
Lawal pointed to a constitutional provision which stipulated that pensions shall be reviewed every five years, or whenever there is increase in wages.
Addressing the NLC president, Abdulwaheed Umar, he said: “This is also a constitutional matter as does that of N18,000,00 minimum wage. Your congress did nothing until it pleased God to hear our prayers and, in November, 2010 we had six per cent and 15 percent increase in pension respectively.”
While quoting the level of NUP financial commitment to NLC, Lawal said, “in September 2008, the NUP made a first payment of N92,000.00 to NLC while in June, 2011, a total of N159,512.10 was paid to the union.
“We are at it again; NLC and TUC have been spiting fire and brimstone that if N18,000.00 is not paid Labour would turn Nigeria upside down. What plan do you have for pensioners? Are they not entitled to minimum pension? Do we not buy from the same market?”
He revealed that some of their members are still collecting a monthly pensions of N1,800.00 to N3,000.00, “an amount not enough to feed the dog of an elite in one day.”
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