The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared that it would keep pushing for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to include retirees from both the public and private sectors.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, it’s Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Chris Onyeka, said this.
The new health insurance policy that was passed into law on May 19, 2022, according to Onyeka, attempted to provide universal health insurance coverage, which “meant that retirees were covered.”
According to him, the issue of health insurance for retirees would have been resolved if such an act were in place and functioning because there is already a system in place that captures them.
“To guarantee that everyone is covered is every trade union leader’s goal; yet, passing legislation is one thing, putting it into practise is quite another.
“The issue we currently face is operationalizing it, particularly funding the system itself, which needs to be worked out.
Despite the fact that the law expressly mentions how the programme would be supported, it is still not completely functioning.
Therefore, as trade unions, we will need to keep advocating for and promoting the implementation of the universal health insurance programme.
“We will also campaign for a specific health insurance plan for retirees or pensioners since that is also part of our responsibility.
Trade unions are there to express, defend, and project the privileges and rights of workers, he stated.
The subject of better social security and safety for pensioners, according to the labour leader, was crucial.
He asserts that having a strong social safety net will help ensure that retirees have more access to health benefits.
“Protecting the weak is the most important thing.
“In the private sector, there are more pensioners or retirees with post-retirement coverage.
To assure their inclusion in the health insurance programme, he stated, “We will continue our advocacy outreach.”
