Recent developments within the labour movement indeed the Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, gives one cause for concern especially when viewed against the backdrop of the NLC’s slogan of “ sustaining and deepening democracy”.

Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights, CDWR, has called on the Osun State Government to immediately commence the payment of outstanding pension and pension arrears of retirees in the state, lamenting that some of the state pensioners have not been paid a kobo in the last six months.

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has warned that the planned removal of the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to concurrent by the Senate, would spell doom for the nation.

ON Friday, June 28, the National Pension Commission, PenCom, submitted a position paper to the Senate Committee on Establishments and Public Service and the House Committee on Pensions, at the joint public hearing on the Bill for an Act to repeal the Pension Reform Act 2004 and enact the Pension Reform Act, 2013, to make provision for Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, and for connected matters. For record purposes, beginning from this edition, Pension and You, will publish the presentation of PenCom, the regulator in the Pension industry.

NIGERIA has become the 37th member state to ratifiy the Maritime Labour Convention at the just concluded 102 conference of the International Labour Organisation held in Geneva, Switzerland. Labour and Productivity minister, Chief Emeka Wogu presented the instrument of ratification to the director-general of the ILO, Mr. Guy Rider in Geneva.

THE Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has lamented the non payment of the 14 months pension arrears contrary to the directives of President Goodluck Jonathan for immediate payment of the arrears of the check- off dues owed the union.

Frustration, anguish and lamentation could be seen on their faces when retired military men gathered to draw public attention to their plight over non-payment of three years pension arrears. They had served the nation with youthful and productive lives fighting for the survival and unity of Nigeria.

NEWLY elected President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Bobboi Bala Kaigama, has spoken about his determination to work with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and all TUC members as one family to lift up the living standards of Nigerian workers and other underprivileged groups in the country.

FOR over a decade, the office of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung has been a rallying point for non-governmental organizations. FES assignment in Nigeria has been essentially about promoting and sustaining democracy and this it has done by working with non-governmental organizations, the media, trade unions, women and other civil society groups. It was therefore not surprising when a similar programme was organized to bid farewell to the former resident representative, Mr. Thomas Mattig and welcome Mrs. Seija Sturies, the first female resident representative of the FES in Nigeria.

RECENTLY, Labour Vanguard published the first part of Comrade Sylvester Ejiofoh response to its story on takeover of trade unions by bourgeois labour leaders. Today’s edition of Labour Vanguard is the concluding part of the interview.

THE National Pension Commission, PenCom, is presently verifying for employees of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, that are Treasury-Funded, ahead of their retirement next year.

HE argued that even the Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, set up to bring some sanity to the system, worsened the plight of the pensioners. Ndoma-Egba added that the thrust of the bill was to overhaul the entire structure and the scheme of pension administration in the country including, “the establishment of a uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for the administration and payment of retirement benefits for the public service in all tiers of government and the private sectors, thus, making provisions for the smooth operations of the contributory pension scheme and ensuring that every worker receives his retirement benefits as and when due.”

IF the amendment to the Pension Reform Act, PRA, 2004, by the Senate sails through, total contributions by both employers and employees to the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS will be increased to 20 percent as against 15 percent currently being contributed.

RECENTLY, IndustriAll Global Union affiliates in Nigeria gathered at the National Secretariat of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Lagos, at a one day workshop to mark the World Day for Safety and Health.

In the trade union movement, Peters Adeyemi is a name that rings a bell. Officially, he is the General Secretary of the Non- Academic Staff Union of Educational And Associated Institutions, NASU, and until 20011, a Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC . He served in that capacity from 2007 to 2011. At the international level, he is serving the Public Services International based in France as the President for Africa and the Vice- President, International.