The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, has advocated for upward review of civil servants retirement age and the disparity between core Civil servants salaries, emoluments and those from public service.
Ajaero made the call during the 2023 Workers’ Day celebrations on Monday in Abuja.
The NLC president demanded that the age of retirement and length of service in all public service, including the civil service, be reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service.
He added that extension of years of service should remain the same, as it had been done in other sectors of the public service in the country. Only a few other establishments, including the core civil service, are now left out.
According to the President of NLC
“It is necessary to recall that we have continued over the years to demand that the salaries of core civil servants be beefed up to narrow the gap between their emoluments and those in other segments of the public service.
“They all possess the same educational qualifications and cognate experience on the job. So why the disparity?” Ajaero queried.
“As you are all aware, the concept of gratuity payment to employees is predicated on the fact that those who have laboured for public institutions or private enterprises are entitled to the proverbial golden handshake from their employers.
“Thus, gratuity is a monetary benefit given by an employer to his/her employee at the time of retirement without the worker making any financial contribution whatsoever to the fund,” he said.
He further stressed that such a lump sum of money is meant to enable the retiree to finance any post-retirement endeavour of his/her choice
“The Pension Act did not abolish gratuity payment and we demand its restoration in many public sectors where it has been stopped, ” the labour leader said.
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