The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has issued fresh directives to the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) on the long-running dispute over check-off dues deductions involving pensioners’ unions, formally clarifying the jurisdictional boundaries of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN).
In an official letter addressed to the Executive Secretary of PTAD and obtained by journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the Ministry said it was writing “to formally bring to your (PTAD) attention the position of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment concerning the check-off-dues of the unions namely: Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN) and the assignment of its jurisdictional scope.”
The correspondence, signed by the Director, Trade Unions Services and Industrial Relations, Falonipe Amos on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Employment, explained that following due consideration and in the exercise of its statutory mandate, the Ministry had taken a decision already conveyed to PTAD “regarding the regrouping of the union and clearly define its jurisdictional scope.”
According to the letter, the decision was taken “in line with existing labour laws and regulations, with the objective of ensuring clarity, industrial harmony, and effective administration of trade union activities.”
Reaffirming its position, the Ministry stated that it had “regrouped Nigeria Union of Pensioners and approved its jurisdictional scope,” stressing that PTAD was “accordingly advised to take note of and be guided by this position.”
It clarified that the Nigeria Union of Pensioners covers “all pensioners from the Civil Service of the Federation including local governments and educational institutions for which the Government of the Federation is responsible, who are under the old pension scheme (Defined Benefit Scheme).”
On FEPPPAN, the Ministry stated that its membership was open to all persons who have retired from any Federal Government Parastatals, Federal Establishments now privatized who are under the old pension scheme (Defined Benefit Scheme) and Private Sector Organizations.
However, it excluded “Federal Civil Service, State Institution Pensioners, State parastatals pensioners under the old pension scheme (Defined Benefit Scheme) and contributory pensioners” from FEPPPAN’s jurisdiction.
Based on this clarification, the Ministry maintained that “check-off dues should be deducted and remitted to the appropriate union in line with the above jurisdictional scopes.”
The letter, however, introduced a key caveat, noting that the directive was issued “without prejudice to existing Court judgments and the provisions of section 5(3) of the Labour Act (Cap. L1 LFN, 2004), which empower workers to voluntarily contract out of the system in writing.”
It emphasised that “such contracting out must be done individually by each affected member.”
The Ministry requested PTAD to “accept this communication as an official notification of the Ministry’s position on the matter, and as remittance of the check-off dues pursuant thereto,” while conveying “the warm regards of the Honourable Minister.”
A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the General Secretary of the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPPAN), Mr. Franklin Erinle, formally putting the association on notice of the Ministry’s clarified position.
