Nigeria: NLC to Embark On Pensioners' Solidarity Strike On April 10
5 APRIL 2013
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The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Thursday in Abuja directed workers (Nigeria Airways)in Abuja and Lagos to prepare for a solidarity strike on April 10 to protest against the nonpayment of pensions to retirees and gratuity.

The Acting President of NLC, Promise Adewusi, gave the directive at a news conference preparatory to the solidarity strike.

He said that the briefing was to re-state the congress' resolve to embark on a peaceful protest.

"For the purposes of clarity and removing all doubts, all our members are expected to stay off work in Abuja and Lagos on April 10 and March to designated areas which they have all ready been informed of.

"All workers, all members of organised labour in those two cities, Abuja and Lagos, are to stay off work in solidarity and in support.

"And mass in this rally at least to show our disappointment at the whole issue of pension mismanagement and the underlining corruptive tendencies surrounding it," he said.

Mr. Adewusi said the only thing that could shelve the protest was a show of willingness on the part of the Federal Government to address the "gross criminalities and inequities in the pension fund administration in the country".

He commended the leadership of the senate for investigating the criminalities and fraud in pension fund administration and its courage in asking for the disbandment of the Pension Reform Task Team.

In his remarks, Ali Abatcha, National President of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners said the union was ready to fight on unless government met its demand.

"If they meet our demand, then we won't have any reason to go on strike," Mr. Abatcha said.

Two of the issues in contention are the nonpayment of outstanding arrears of pensions to millions of retirees and the non-enrolment of hundreds of thousands of pensioners in the Federal Pensions payroll.

Others are non-payment of death benefits to deserving next of kin, non-implementation of payment to pensioners to reflect the 53.4 per cent salary review, among others.http://allafrica.com/stories/201304051099.html