By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Friday appealed to the Enugu State Government to set aside funds on monthly basis for the payment of gratuity.
The Chairman of TUC in Enugu State, Chukwuma Igbokwe, made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
Igbokwe said that this had become imperative as the arrears of pension and gratuity were on the increase.
“The arrears of pension and gratuity are alarmingly on the increase.
“It is pertinent to note that the bulk of the civil servants, who were employed between 1981 and 1983, had started retiring en-mass from last year and this will increase the arrears of gratuity and pensions.
“The Congress, hereby, urges the state government to work out modalties to tackle this challenge with a view to ensuring that employees are paid their retirement benefits as and at when due.
“This will minimise early deaths after months into retirement,’’ he said.
The chairman also revealed that retirees of the state-owned parastatal agencies are owed up to three years of pension, saying “ this is a ticket to an early grave.’’
“We urge the government to look into this matter of pension for state-owned parastatal agencies with a view to saving the lives of these men and women that have put in their youthful age to the service of this state,’’ he said.