By Gladys Omirigbe
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) Cross River State Council have rejected the proposed contributory pension scheme, citing “misimplementation” of the Scheme in other States.
The Union’s stance on the scheme was contained in a communique issued at a meeting held on Monday 23rd October 2023, at the NLC Solidarity Centre, Calabar.
The workers urged the State government to “as a matter of urgency attend to pressing issues of workers, ranging from payment of outstanding gratuities up to the current N35,000 “wage award” as approved by the federal government, to cushion the current hardship resulting from the removal of fuel subsidy.”
They “relied on the provisions of section 5(2) of the Labour Act Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, believing that the Government of Cross River State would get the full consent of Workers before proceeding to implement the Contributory Pension Scheme.”
According to Labour: “The visitation of the President of NLC Comr. Joe Ajaero is not at the instance of workers of the State that constitute affiliates of the Labour Centre of which he superintends and given this, Congress dissociates its members from any form of comradely and solidarity welcome.”
The civil servants said they have rejected the “proposed contributory pension scheme pending when proper discussion would have been held with the leadership of the Organized Labour. Congress fears sufficiently and convincingly allayed Congress pinpointed the misimplementation of the scheme in other States and even the ill effects it has created for most federal workers.”
It added that: “Hon. Mrs. Lawrencia E. Ita who is the Commissioner for Establishment has sent letters of affiliates inviting Unions for a sensitization meeting, which would have in attendance, His Excellency, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, Executive Governor, Cross River State, and the President of NLC, Comr. Joe Ajaero, Members. Took time to exhaustively deliberate on the matter and the attendant implications of the Contributory Pension Scheme on Workers.”