By JOAN NWAGWU

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has urged the Federal Government to include their members in the tripartite committee on the national minimum wage review.

Mr Godwin Abumisi, National President of NUP made the request at a news conference addressed by the union on Thursday in Abuja.

Abumisi urged President Bola Tinubu to,as a matter of necessity and urgency, include the union in the committee.

According to him, when the news of constituting the wage review committee was announced by the federal government, it was applauded by the NUP.

“This was with the high hope that NUP will be represented in such a high-powered committee to offer their voice to the negotiation as well as make a case for their members.

`We were anticipatory bearing in mind that pensioners are workers in retirement who go to the same market for their daily needs.

“Moreso, we feel that the pensioners’ union should be carried along during negotiations on the matters that bother on their members.

“Unfortunately, and regrettably too, our hope of being represented in the committee was dashed as the name of NUP was visibly omitted from the membership list’’ he said.

He said they were using the forum to protest and register their displeasure with the constitution of the committee in a way that undermined the relevance of the union.

Abumisi argued that although, NUP is a member of the organised labour family, hut its interest will notbe sufficiently catered for in the absence of its members.

“Previous experiences had shown that pensioners had always been left to their fare in the series of wage reviews and negotiations.

“It is not until our local union (NUP) will have to struggle overtime to press for a corresponding upward review of pensions for their members.

“This oversight, or do we call it maltreatment of the senior citizens, is a flagrant contravention and disobedience to the provisions of Sections 173(3) and 210(3) of the 1999 constitution.

“The section unambiguously stipulates that pensions shall be reviewed every five years, or together with any federal/state salary reviews, whichever is earlier.

“The above constitutional provision has always been violated as it is hardly observed or adhered to by the same authorities that signed it into law,’’ he said.

The NUP president therefore urged that in theinterest of peace and industrial harmony, President Tinubu should appoint the leadership of the union to serve in the committee.

He contended that any review of national minimum wage should always be done together with the review of the national minimum pension.

According to him, workers and pensioners belong to the same civil service family with similar characteristics and needs. (NAN)