Ghana News Agency (Tema) – Dr Yaw Baah, secretary general of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana, has urged the government to rectify the “unfairness and discrimination” in the implementation of the three-tier pension scheme, and adjust upwards pensioners’ low lump-sum benefits.
The TUC said pensioners are being shortchanged in the lump-sum benefits they receive.
Dr Baah added that the situation, including miscomputation of past credit by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), is worrying and will not be allowed to continue.
He said workers who retired from January 2020 onwards are worse off, as they are receiving lump-sum benefits much lower than what they would have received from SSNIT had they retired under PNDC Law 247 – which required SSNIT to pay a 25% lump sum to contributors.
Discrimination
Speaking at a regional forum on pensions in Tema, Dr Baah called on the government to engage stakeholders to address the anomaly and make the pensions scheme more sustainable.
The forum, organised by the TUC in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, sought, among other objectives, to sensitise members about pension reform in Ghana, as well as overview and implementation of Act 766, which introduced the three-tier pension scheme.
He said there had been a series of attempts, albeit unsuccessful, to get the government to convene a stakeholder meeting to address pensioners’ concerns.
Dr Baah added that there is apparent discrimination in payment of pensions, which ought to be addressed. He explained that the reforms which led to the present pension scheme are not being implemented appropriately to address the concerns of workers and pensioners.
Dialogue with unions
He called on the government to convene, as a matter of urgency, a stakeholders’ dialogue to discuss ways of addressing further the “unfair, unjust and discriminatory” treatment being meted out to pensioners and ultimately strengthen the pension scheme.
Reynolds Ofosu Tenkorange, general secretary of the Health Services Workers’ Union of the TUC, advised Ghanaian workers to prepare adequately towards their pension and reap the benefits.
The government needs to organise a stakeholder forum to address the challenges that workers confront, particularly to ensure that pensioners get what they are due.
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