The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday called off the planned protest over the unpaid arrears due to pensioners following President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive that the backlog be cleared immediately.
The NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and civil society groups had few days ago announced that a solidarity protest would be staged in Abuja and Lagos today over the failure of the Federal Government to pay pensioners’ arrears as well as other pending issues affecting their lives.
However, President Jonathan waded into the matter on Monday night and ordered the payment of the backlog of the arrears, forcing the Central Working Committee of the NLC to hold an emergency meeting yesterday where the decision to suspend the strike was agreed upon.
Addressing journalists after the meeting,
NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said that the decision to suspend the strike was based on President Jonathan’s assurance that all the issues raised by the pensioners would be addressed.
He, however, noted that it was also agreed by both parties that if the demands were not met by the end of this month, NLC should embark on the protest without notice.
The communiqué issued at the end of the CWC meeting reads in part: “In consideration of the fact that the Federal Government has sufficiently met with the demands of the Congress and National Union of Pensioners, NUP, including the setting up of a joint Committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to harmonise payments as well as resolve sundry matters connected with pension payment and administration of pension funds, CWC resolves to suspend forthwith the work stoppage/protest match billed to take place on Wednesday, April 10 in Lagos and Abuja.
It however said the unions would “resume without warning the suspended action if by the end of April or thereabouts, the Federal Government fails to implement all it has promised to do. “Congress wishes to commend its workers and civil society allies for promptly mobilizing for this action.”
The communiqué reads further:“It will be recalled that, at the joint meeting with the Congress and the Trade Union Congress on Monday night, April 8, 2013, the Federal Government among other things accepted to restore the check-off dues of the NUP which had been withheld for one year; ordered the withdrawal from the court the case between the Federal Government of Nigeria and NUP in respect of the pension payment/matters; set up a joint Committee of Labour and Government, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to resolve all issues pertaining to: Immediate payment of all pension arrears to deserving pensioners; revisitation/ resumption of inconclusive verification exercises of 2010/2011 that left scores of pensioners off the payroll.
“The review of pension payment to reflect 53.4 per cent wage increase to workers in 2010 and the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage; perfect and fast-track the process of pension payment.
“The committee has till the end of April or first week of May at the latest to complete its work. On Monday night, President Jonathan met with labour leaders over the pension debacle and ordered the immediate payment of all outstanding arrears of pensioners in the country to starve off the mass protests.”
The President also set up a government team that would meet with representatives of organised labour on other issues raised during the meeting.
Members of the government team include the SGF; Minister of Labour and Productivity; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the State Counsel; and the Director-General of the Budget Office. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, announced at the end of the meeting that Jonathan had directed the relevant ministries and agencies to ensure that the check off dues of pensioners are paid immediately.
The decision, according to him, was based on the presentation made by the organised labour about issues on the payment of pensioners.
Present at the meeting were the leaders of the NLC, TUC and the NUP. Organised labour and civil society groups had declared today work-free day for the mass protests in Lagos and Abuja to draw the attention of government towards the plight of pensioners, whose pension arrears estimated at over N1bn have not been paid.
According to the President of the NLC, the mass protest was targeted against corruption and impunity in government across states and federal levels, explaining that it was decided that the Lagos and Abuja mass protests hold under the joint umbrella of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO.
The NLC urged Nigerians across the country to participate actively in the rallies and protest marches to support the demand for a review of the pension fund in order to ensure living pensions and its prompt payment to senior citizens.
Meanwhile, aggrieved pensioners in Bayelsa State yesterday said that they were experiencing difficult times occasioned by the backlog of arrears owed them by the state government.
To this end, the pensioners who are currently undergoing a biometric data registration and verification exercise in Yenagoa, the state capital, appealed to government to offset these arrears and benefits to enable them cope with life after retirement.
Some of the pensioners who spoke with National Mirror noted that they had passed through turbulent times before their pensions were paid. Investigations by our correspondents revealed that some of the senior citizens were unable to find their names in the federal pension’s payroll.
Non-payment of death benefits to next of kin and nonimplementation of the 53.4 per cent salary review were also some of the problem being faced.
In an interview, a pensioner, Mr. Soba Ogbitum, recounted that he retired from the civil service since 1986, noting that he receives his state share of pension , but was yet to be paid the 30 months arrears of the federal share. For Mr. Obolo Akana, he said his arrears were paid in 2011, stressing that it was the last time he received his pension.
When contacted, a top official of the state government who pleaded anonymity assured that the pensioners’ arrears and other benefits would be settled by the state government.
The official appealed to the pensioners to be patient with government, stressing that modalities were being worked out, adding that government was not insensitive to their plight.
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