NLC Threatens Nationwide Action Over Minimum Wage, Demands Pension Review

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it is ready for a major nationwide struggle to secure a new national minimum wage and better pensions for retired workers.

NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the union would not accept a review of workers’ salaries without a corresponding increase in pension benefits, adding that organised labour would also push for the creation of a National Minimum Pension.

Ajaero spoke during the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja.

He said rising inflation and the high cost of living have made the current minimum wage and pension inadequate, leaving many workers and retirees struggling to survive.

“We are currently preparing for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage,” Ajaero said.

“But it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have retired after years of service.”

He said the NLC would campaign for both a new minimum wage and a National Minimum Pension.

“It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth and productive years to serving this nation should be forced to live below the poverty line after retirement,” he said.

According to Ajaero, the rising cost of food, healthcare and transportation has made life increasingly difficult for pensioners.

“We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” he added.

The NLC president urged pensioners to remain united and prepare for the struggle ahead, describing the newly inaugurated Legacy House as a centre for mobilisation and solidarity.

He also called on workers to stand together, saying unity would strengthen labour’s ability to compel the government to fulfil its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.

Ajaero further demanded the immediate payment of outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension system that guarantees every retiree a decent standard of living.

“Together, we shall continue to fight until every Nigerian worker and pensioner receives the justice, respect and welfare they deserve,” he said.