By Bimbola Oyesola 08033246177, [email protected]
Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have called for urgent review of Pension Reform Act to facilitate increase in the lump sum benefits paid to workers at retirement from 25 percent to 50 percent.
This formed part of the resolutions took by the union at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting last week in Abuja.
The resolutions jointly signed by the President, Dr. Makolo Hassan and General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, noted that the current 25% lump sum benefits paid to retirees on retirement is too meagre for the start-off of the retiree on retirement.
The union recalled the decision of the Federal Government to fully comply with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014.
“This is based specifically on the President’s approval of the payment of Outstanding Pension Accrued Rights for verified and enrolled retirees of treasury-funded Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs); payment of 2.5% differential in the rate of employer pension contribution for Federal retirees and employees, which resulted from the increase of employer’s contribution to 10% as provided for in the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014, and funds made available for settlement of the two stated liabilities,” it said.
The workers however expressed dismay at the greed, avarice, and self-centeredness of the political ruling class as exemplified by the unfairness and lack of concern for the welfare of workers, pensioners and taxpayers by majority of State Governors, past and present.
According to the NASU NEC some of the immediate past Governors who failed in eight years to enact laws to take care of pension of employees of States and Local Governments they superintended over, were able to within a very short period of time, with the assistance of their State Houses of Assemblies provided for themselves, bloated “pension”, allowances, which include houses, bullet proof vehicles, domestic and security aids and provisions for medical tourism, which they smuggled into the statute books of their States in the name of pension rights for political office holders or whatever names so called.
The workers expressed further that there are still State Governments without pension laws for their workers, thereby leaving their retirees in abject poverty and destitution.
It stated, “Even some of the States that have enacted laws are not complying with pension laws of their States, by not remitting both employees and employer’s pension contributions to employees Retirement Savings Accounts with Pension Fund Administrators.
“NEC-in-Session therefore called on all employers of labour, especially State Governments, who are guilty of the above stated observations on pension of their workers, to desist from such acts and take all necessary actions to protect the pension rights of their employees. NEC further called for the review to the Pension Reform Act, in order to increase the lump sum benefits to 50%.”
In the same vein, the union condemned non payment of salary covering several months by some states governments, such as Abia, Benue, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, and Ondo States, despite accessing tranches of Paris Club bail out from the Federal Government, aimed at offsetting the arrears.
It mandated the affected State Governments to clear the arrears and make prompt payment of workers’ salary a top priority.
Also on Minimum Wage, NASU NEC said it was unfortunate that, since the enactment of the National Minimum Wage Act (As Amended) in April, 2019, a number of State Governments are yet to implement the National Minimum Wage for their workers, while others are yet to conclude negotiations with their Labour Unions on the consequential adjustments of the National Minimum Wage, thereby calling on the defaulting State Governments to urgently conclude negotiation and implement the National Minimum Wage for their workers to mitigate their sufferings.
It equally expressed displeasure over the non-payment of the arrears of the National Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment to NASU members in the Federal Universities and Inter-University Centres, Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education by the Federal Government even when other Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have since been paid the arrears and called on the Federal Government to pay the arrears to the workers of the above listed Institutions without further delay.