NLC to meet Tinubu on 65-year retirement age

The Nigeria Labour Congress is set to engage President Bola Tinubu on the agitation for extension of civil servants’ retirement age to 65 years.

The National President, NLC, Joe Ajaero, told The PUNCH on Sunday that labour was not relenting on the agitation, which started under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

It could be recalled that the NLC had during the 2023 May Day celebrations appealed to Buhari to extend the retirement age for civil servants.

But then Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, told our correspondent that Buhari, in the twilight of his administration, would not be able to deal with the matter.

“The process to effect that change to 65 years (if it is accepted by the Federal Government) is a process that cannot be completed before the end of the tenure of Buhari. So, I guess the new administration will have to deal with that,” Keyamo had said.

Already, teachers under the employment of government at all levels, are enjoying the implementation of a new retirement age.

When asked on Sunday, if the congress would meet with Tinubu on the matter, the NLC President said, “Yes. Only 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.”

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

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