Tinubu and NLC will meet over 65-year retirement age

The Nigeria Labour Congress is to meet with President Bola Tinubu to discuss raising the retirement age for civil servants to 65 years

The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, told Ejesgist on Sunday that the agitation, which began during the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari, would continue.

The NLC asked Buhari to raise the retirement age for federal officials during the 2023 May Day celebrations.

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However, Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour, warned our correspondent that Buhari, who is nearing the end of his presidency, will be unable to deal with the issue.

“The process to effect that change to 65 years (if accepted by the Federal Government) is one that will not be completed before the end of Buhari’s tenure.” “I suppose the new administration will have to deal with that,” Keyamo remarked.

Teachers employed by the government at all levels are already benefiting from the establishment of a new retirement age.

When asked if the NLC would meet with Tinubu on the topic on Sunday, the NLC President answered, “Yes.” Only a few other institutions, including the core civil service, are now excluded.

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“As a result, we demand that the retirement age and length of service in the entire public service, including the civil service, be increased to 65 years of age and 40 years of service.”

Speaking with our correspondent, Hakeem Ambali, the NLC’s National Treasurer, stated, “Yes, we are going to negotiate that, to avert the imminent crisis and suffering of our members whose Contributory Pension Deduction was not remitted to their PFAS by a large percentage of labour employers.”

“A window of five years is expected to form a transition period of normalising the scheme so that they (workers) are not pushed to premature death and penury.”