Teachers call for the re-introduction of Cap 30 pension scheme

Nkoranza (B/A), Oct. 29, GNA - Mr James Adjei Biney, Nkoranza District Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has appealed to the government to revert workers to the SSNIT Pension Scheme to enable them to enjoy Cap 30 Pension Scheme. Mr Biney was addressing a meeting of more than 200 teachers in the district at Nkoranza on the government's proposed Health Insurance Scheme.

He expressed concern that the teachers' body had submitted memorandum to the government about the disparities in the SSNIT and Cap 30 pension schemes since April last year "but has not received any positive response".

The GNAT Secretary wondered why personnel in the Police, Army, Prisons, Fire Service and others had been placed under Cap 30 but not teachers.

He therefore, appealed to the government to respond to GNAT's memorandum and address problems facing teachers to enable them to improve their living standards.

Mr Biney cited a worker, who served for about 25 years and was placed under Cap 30 pension, saying he took home about 60 million cedis benefits whilst a colleague who served for the same period but was on the SSNIT scheme received less than 10 million cedis.

The analogy of the two situations is a clear manifestation that workers on the SSNIT scheme are disadvantaged, he said.

The GNAT Secretary also called on the government to ensure that teachers' legitimate entitlements such as T and T funds, hospital refunds, transfer grants and death grants were paid promptly as it took a very long period before such grants were paid at the district education directorate.

Mr Biney complained that since teachers' death grant was hiked from 500,000 cedis to one million cedis, teachers in Nkoranza district had not benefited.