The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has charged workers to plan for their retirement rather than wait for the government
The Congress lamented the sufferings many go through due to unplanned retirement and lack of social safety net to enable them adjust to a new phase of life.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero gave the charge during the 2nd national pre-retirement summit in Abuja.
“There is a need for everyone of us to think of the next phase of life,” , Ajaero said.
The NLC president lamented the absence of a proper transitional arrangement for retiring workers.
He said that retirement for a Nigerian worker has continued to pose a nightmare because of sufferings and uncertainties associated with it.
Ajaero said that Nigeria has been tinkering with the issue of new reform and old pension scheme but none of them has brought needed relief to the workers.
Apart from the absence of a proper transitional arrangement for retiring workers, Ajaero said the country doesn’t have any social security initiative or safety net targeted at retirees and the senior citizens.
He said: “Once you mention retirement, people think they will be retired to the dustbin of history. The way we retire in this country without a transitional arrangement makes it worse, next one month after retirement, things begin to get bad for the worker.”
The NLC president suggested the setting aside of one year for a transitional programme leading to the eventual retirement of a worker to enable him prepare adequately for the final exit from active service.
Ajaero said that organised labour is also pushing for a policy review to grant retirees access to at least 50 percent of their contributory pension a year or two before proceeding on retirement for them to make investments.
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