Union Urges FG To Improve Harmonised Pension

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) pensioners have  the Federal Government to approve the report of the Railway Pension Review Committee with a view to alleviating the suffering of retired railway workers throughout the country.

The union General Secretary, Comrade Rafiu Balogun made the call in a statement issued after the meeting of the National Executive Council of the Pensioners Union recently.

The union scribe said the problem of NRS Pensions is a peculiar one which requires a peculiar solution as no amount of general increase in the pension rates will correct the disparity in the  union members earnings.

He said the NRC Pensioners are the least paid pensioners in the country, adding that it is highly worrisome to the union’s leadership.

Comrade Balogun said the union leadership successfully defined the problem of the NRC pensioners and that eventually led to the setting up of a committee by the authorities of NRC under the chairmanship of NRC Director of Administration and Human Resources.

He said the committee was charged with the responsibility of reviewing issues concerning the pensioners’ emolument with a view to coming up with appropriate recommendations for upward review of the pension of NRC retirees.

The union general secretary said the disparity in the monthly pension of old and new pensioners of the corporation who retired on the same salary grade level and step, was due to non-compliance to section 173 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

He urged the federal government to harmonise the pension of NRC retirees in line with the extant pension law of the country.

However, The Tide investigation revealed that the Railway Pension Review Committee was set up by the minister of transport to look into the challenges facing pensioners of the corporation among other terms of reference.