FIVE unions in the nation’s health sector have explained that their campaigns for the sack of the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, is to better the health care delivering system in the country, urging President Goodluck Jonathan, to sack the minister before it is too late.

AGGRIEVED Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, pensioners have appealed to the Federal Government and the management of NIPOST, to pay their over seven years arrears, saying their pensions is for them to live and not for burial.

CHAIRMAN of Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina, has said more shocking revelations of pension scam are underway, even as he declared his being declared ‘wanted’ by the Nigeria Police Force, has ulterior motives.

TRADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has said the rank and file in the nation’s armed forces will suffer in the long run from the exit of the military from the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS.

NATIONAL Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has said the no employer can deny workers the right to gratuity using the Pension Reform Act of 2004, which gave birth to the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, saying the agreement between government and Labour on the payment of pension and gratuity to Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, workers, has been faulted.

A MUSLIM Group, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has charged the government to enact a law compelling payment of pensioners’ benefits within six months of retirement.

IF everything goes on as planned, soon the nation’s Power sector will be fully private sector controlled following the recent agreement between the Federal Government and Labour over payment of terminal benefits for workers in the sector. In this interview with Labour Vanguard, General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero, speaks on issues of job losses among others, declaring that trade unionism has come stay in the sector. Excerpts

VICE-PRESIDENT of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan, to call the Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Adulrasheed Maina, to order.

TRADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has described year 2012 as a very terrible year for the nation’s pensioners, even as he commended the feat of the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS. Speaking with Pension and You, President-General of TUC, Comrade Peter Esele, faulted those expressing reservations about the Pension Reform Act, PRA 2004 and CPS, saying “I will say it categorically that the contributing pension scheme is 100 per cent intact. Nobody can illegally access the money in the scheme and the way the act is, makes me very confident and happy that my own pension is protected.”

NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, has described 2012 as most challenging to workers declaring that it was characterized by incessant job losses and unemployment among others.

THE question therefore is why has it become very easy for government officials to embezzle pension fund in such magnitude. The truth is that the pre 2004 pension reform pension administration in the public service lacked transparency and accountability. Transparency is the quality of being clear, honest and open.

IN 1993, Jigawa’s Government undertook an assessment of the old, non-contributory defined benefits scheme and discovered it to be inefficient, ineffective, and a burden to government finances.

IN recent month’s reports of pension scam carried banner headlines in the country’s news Media, both print and electronics resulting to probes on pension administration by special committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives. Some of the well-published scams are those of the Office of Head of Service of the Federation, Police pension and PHCN.

ON the contrary, organised labour still represents the protected section of the poor. This is because trade unions have fought for right to collective bargaining which has improved wages and benefits in the world of work. Today Nigeria has minimum wage law which prescribes the pay floor bellow which no worker falls.

NATIONAL Pension Commission, PenCom, has sent debt recovery agents after management of media houses and other companies who have continued to breach the Pension Reform Act, PRA, 2004 by failing to remit deducted pension fund and have continued to incur high debt profile

INCREASING number of workers in both private and public sectors are choosing the Trustfund Pensions Plc, for their retirement saving account, RSA, the management has said. It explained that the choice of Trustfund is based on its solid financial base and sound management team.

IN recent month’s reports of pension scam carried banner headlines in the country’s news Media, both print and electronics resulting to probes on pension administration by special committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives. Some of the well-published scams are those of the Office of Head of Service of the Federation, Police pension and PHCN.

NATIONAL Pension Commission, PenCom, has sent debt recovery agents after management of media houses and other companies who have continued to breach the Pension Reform Act, PRA, 2004 by failing to remit deducted pension fund and have continued to incur high debt profile.