Woman fights SSNIT for paying her Ghc3,750 after 41yrs of service

Tears nearly trickled down the eyes of a retired principal midwifery officer after she received a paltry sum of Ghc3, 751.20 pesewas from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, SSNIT, as her lump sum for 41 years of public service.

According to Madam Martha Buckman, when she made enquiries from SNNIT, she was asked to access the rest of her monies from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority NPRA.

Madam Martha Buckman told TV3's Daniel Opoku that she retired January this year after 42 years in public service. She retired as a principal midwifery officer at the Tema General Hospital.

Apart from the amount she is supposed to be getting monthly, she received a meager Ghc3, 751.20 pesewas from SSNIT after 41 years of service.

"I had a text from SNNIT that they have deposited some money in my account as my benefit. I didn't believe it so I went to a SSNIT office at Tema Community 2 and a lady there told me that the PNDC Law Act 77, is not going to give much benefit; It will rather benefit the youth. So I got angry and asked her what time did the PNDC law come in force?. I asked her to tell me her age. I have worked for 41 years; the whole Ghana, it is only in the Volta Region that I haven't worked. During a national cholera outbreak in 1983, I was at Effia Nkwanta in Takoradi saving lives without even wearing gloves".

"So I decided to come to the SSNIT office in Accra and a lady asked me to climb the sixth floor and see the manager. I questioned why she will ask me to go through that stress considering my age. The manager then asked me to relax because they are waiting for government to sign some documents before my money is paid to me in full. So I told them that they would have to bury me there".

Madam Martha is asking the 12 Labour Unions to fight for her. Although the calculations for the benefits have reduced, SNNIT says it will revert to the old scheme under PNDC Law 284 to pay full benefits to workers..

According to SSNIT, it will revert 413, 000 workers on to the old scheme. Meanwhile the leadership of the 12 labour unions say they will initiate sanctions against officials of SSNIT for perpetuating such injustice. The unions made the observation at a news conference in Accra.

The unions said SSNIT has not treated their members fairly. Few weeks ago, SSNIT published circulars to pay pensioners whose benefits have reduced because of the new scheme. But the leadership of the unions is asking SSNIT to halt the posting of the circular since it has created anxiety among its members.

The union again raised concerns about the lack of broader consultations before amending portions of the Pensions Act.

However, in January this year, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations convened a meeting to address the problems associated with the amendments.

The Unions say nothing fruitful came out of the meeting.