Railway retirees have called on the Pension Transition Administration Directorate(PTAD) to harmonise pensions paid to Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) pensioners in line with what obtains in other federal government parastatals as approved by National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
This call is coming 12 years after increase in minimum wage and consequential 33 per cent increase in pensions.
Chairman of Concerned Railway Pensioners, Mr. Rufus Akinselure, who made this known in Lagos recently, also called on the directorate to pay harmonisation arrears owed railway pensioners after the consequential adjustment in pensions arising from the implementation of the minimum wage in 2010 and 2019.
Prior to the consequential adjustment of pension in 2019 due to increase in minimum wage, a pensioner of a sister Parastatals on grade level 06 was receiving N26, 226.91 per month while NRC’s pensioner on the same grade level earned N13,000 per month.
According to a letter to the executive secretary PTAD dated June 22, 2022 and made available to LEADERSHIP, after the consequential adjustment, the same pensioners on grade level 06 in a sister parastatals now goes home with N37,272.21 per month whereas NRC pensioner now goes home with N21, 822.31 per month.
The secretary of the group, Comrade John Uwemodimoh, based on the new consequential adjustment, a retiree on grade level 07 is expected to earn N40,000 instead N27,000 currently paid NRC retirees.
In a separate development, the chairman of the group, Mr. Rufus Akinslure enjoined management of Nigerian Railway Corporation(NRC) to pay 12 months arrears of 33 per
cent accrued to railway pensioners since 2010. following increase in minimum wage.
He noted that, after a long drawn passing of the bulk over the agency that should pay the remaining 12 months of the 33% increase in pension arrears, it was finally resolved that NRC management should pay the arrears.
According to him, the NRC management agreed to pay the 12 months arrears but that till date nothing has been done.
