The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC)-Ghana, along with other labor unions, has joined forces to demand prompt payment from the government of all Tier-2 deductions and associated arrears and penalties to fund managers.
The Union emphasized that any additional delay in reimbursing fund managers with Tier-2 deductions would disadvantage Ghanaian workers regarding their pensions, particularly in terms of investment returns.
Mr. King James Azortibah, the newly appointed General Secretary of TEWU of TUC Ghana, conveyed this message in a statement issued to commemorate this year’s May Day.
“Is that how to treat people who have worked hard to keep the economy and other social development agendas of the country on course all their working lives”?
He stated that the current status of Tier-2, which represents the lump sum for every retiree, was causing concern for both those already retired and those approaching retirement.
“It is very worrying to say that since 2020, when the first batch of retirees under the new pension scheme retired, what was paid them as a lump sum is nothing to write home about,” he said.
Mr Azortibah appealed to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to promptly remit the unions’ dues deductions in accordance with the law, to keep union activities running smoothly.
“The over-three-month delays in releasing dues deductions by the CAGD are a major challenge, which we expect to stop immediately,” he said.
He called on the Ministry of Finance to, as a matter of urgency, issue financial clearance for the recruitment of more non-teaching staff to fill the ever-increasing vacancies in the various educational institutions.
“We call, for quick engagement with our social partners, to deploy modern cooking gadgets to our schools to reduce the burden of stress in cooking for large numbers in the schools,” he said.
He called on the government to pay keen attention to negotiations to conclude the conditions of service for union members in universities and allied institutions.
That, he stated, would ensure a conducive working environment in the universities.
The Union had asked the citizens to join them and pray for peaceful 2024 elections.
“The Ghanaian workers and the entire population need peace to contribute their quota to national development,” he said.