From Francis Sadhere, Delta, Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin, Yagana Ali Yola, Mike Tayese, Yenagoa, From Ene Asuquo, Calabar and Ekundayo Idowu, Abeokuta

The Nigeria Labour Congress yesterday demanded an upward review of the retirement age for all categories of civil servants.The National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, made this demand during the ongoing May Day celebration in Eagle Square, Abuja.

While presenting some of the demands of the NLC, Ajaero said, “It is imperative to extend the revised retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of service currently enjoyed by teachers, health professionals, and judges to all public servants. ”In 2023, Ajaero said that the NLC would do everything within its power to ensure that it had a dialogue with President Bola Tinubu on the matter.Already, teachers under the employment of the government at all levels are enjoying the implementation of a new retirement age, an act signed into law by the former president, Muhammadu Buhari.Central to their demands was a clear call for economic justice.They highlighted the urgent need for salary adjustments that reflect current economic realities, insisting that workers cannot continue to bear the brunt of inflation, rising costs, and policy failures.They also criticised the existing PAYEE tax system, questioning the government on what exactly is being taxed and demanding transparency in how these deductions are calculated and applied.The labour centres further rejected the Tax Bills currently before the National Assembly, stating that these legislative moves have excluded the voices of Nigerian workers, insisting that workers must have a seat at the table during the formulation of tax policies that will directly affect them.They also pushed for the immediate implementation of an agreed reduction in telecommunications tariffs from 50% to 35%, a promise they said has yet to materialise while expressing frustration with the continued prioritisation of corporate profits over the survival of the ordinary Nigerian.They called for reforms that would shift focus toward the people. Essential services such as energy, infrastructure, and public utilities, emphasising that they must be oriented toward serving the public interest rather than private gains.In line with this, they reiterated their longstanding demand for a comprehensive review, with the ultimate aim of a reversal of the Electricity Sector Privatisation, which they argued has failed to improve service delivery while deepening economic hardship for consumers.On matters of governance, they demanded democratic accountability, transparency, and urgent electoral reforms.The labour bodies condemned what they described as a sustained suppression of civic space and dissent, calling on both federal and state governments to stop actions that erode citizens’ rights and instead work to strengthen democratic norms.Security was also a major theme in their speech. They called for an immediate end to the widespread killings and bloodshed across the country, labelling the violence as genocidal and intolerable.They expressed deep concern over the safety of Nigerian workers, both within their workplaces and in the general environment, urging the government to prioritise the protection of lives.The rights and welfare of workers took centre stage as they called for improved working conditions, including safe workplaces, the right to organise freely, and protection from both state and employer intimidation or violence.They also pushed for the expansion of the National Labour Advisory Council’s activities and increased the frequency of its meetings to better respond to emerging challenges in the labour sector.The leaders condemned the continued indiscriminate registration of new unions in sectors where existing unions already have effective coverage, warning that such actions weaken organised labour and threaten its coherence.They demanded the immediate settlement of all outstanding allowances, pensions, and gratuities across the country, stressing that retired public servants, who devoted decades to national service, deserve a dignified and secure retirement.Reiterating this, they called for the full restoration of gratuity payments, pointing out the injustice of denying career public servants benefits that are routinely enjoyed by political officeholders after short tenuresLabour also raised the issue of what they described as dehumanising verification exercises faced by retirees, calling for more humane and efficient systems that respect the dignity of the elderly.They pushed for the establishment of a nationally accepted minimum pension that guarantees retirees a life of dignity and demanded that pensions be automatically adjusted in accordance with inflationary trends to protect their real value.They also reaffirmed their commitment to defending the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers. They called on the government to engage in genuine dialogue and to treat workers not as adversaries, but as partners in the effort to build a just, prosperous, and equitable nation.The two labour leaders added that the mass gathering of workers at Eagle Square resonated as a strong message to government authorities, employers of labour, and stakeholders that the struggle for workers’ rights remains not only relevant but necessary, and that the resilience of the Nigerian worker must never be taken for granted.Hunger, Unemployment, Insecurity Real, Tinubu admitsPresident Bola Tinubu yesterday acknowledged that Nigerians are experiencing economic hardship, including rising living costs, hunger, insecurity, unemployment, loss of livelihoods and the pressure of providing for their families.This came as Organised Labour issued a 20-point demand to the Federal Government, urging action on worsening socio-economic conditions in Nigeria, including escalating genocidal killings and bloodletting across the country.Tinubu, who spoke at the national May Day celebration (Workers’ Day) at Eagle Square, Abuja, represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, described the challenges as real, critical and requiring definite solutions. He assured Nigerians of his determination to address them.The President emphasized that his administration is committed and intentional in formulating and implementing policies that promote job creation, decent work, poverty alleviation, economic growth, and stability, while also supporting the most vulnerable citizens.On the economic hardship, he noted that while it is a global phenomenon, its effects on Nigerians are particularly severe.Similarly, the governors of Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori, Ogun, Prince Dapo Abiodun, C’River, Prince Bassey Otu, Bayelsa, Sen. Douye Diri, Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri and Edo, Monday Okpebholo states all pledged better welfare for civil servants in their respective states.