The Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana is calling on Government to hold a stakeholder meeting on pensions in the country immediately.
According to the union, persons who have retired since January this year are worse off than the old pension system.
The Union has blamed the extremely low sums and benefits that the retirees receive recently.
“Regrettably, no forum was held and these issues remain unresolved” since 2019 a stakeholder forum was proposed by TUC.
The Social Security Insurance Trust (SSNIT) had announced an increment in the monthly pension this year to 11%.
However, after the General Meeting held August 6, they say the current situation is still unfair and unjustifiable
“Many workers have retired on the three-tier pension scheme with harrowing experiences. Pension Payment Statements we have gathered from some of our members who retired in 2020 show that they are worse off because their lump sum benefits are far lower than what they would have received if they had retired under PNDC Law 247.”
“The pension reforms that gave birth to the current pension system was premised on the idea of enhancing retirement income for workers. Therefore, no retiree should be worse-off compared to the old pension system,” they stressed.
Meanwhile, it has called on government again to hold a stakeholder Forum immediately to discuss the low lump sum and other related issues.
“We would like to reiterate TUC’s full commitment to social dialogue on all labour and related issues. We believe that, together, we can address the concerns of all stakeholders amicably and keep the relative peace at the labour front.
Adding that government should create an institute that will help protect elderly women in the country to help reduce the killing of elderly women who are accused of practising witchcraft like that of the 90-year-old woman Akua Denteh at Kafaba in the Savannah Region.
“Government must implement a special programme that provides basic income, housing and other amenities for the aged, including those suffering in the so-called witch camps in some parts of the country,” it said.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Pechi-Anim Alince Padikie
