Opinions of Saturday, 25 October 2014

Columnist: AFAG

Pension scheme strike; legitimate

Ghanaian workers are among the most lowly paid in the world with a daily minimum wage of Gh? 6.00. After four years of collecting the second-tier contributions from workers, accrued benefits needed to be paid as pension to retiring workers have not been paid (to allow workers, manage their own funds) as stipulated by the law. Ghanaian workers such as civil and local government staff, teachers including GNAT, NAGRAT and CCT, the judicial service, and health service workers union across the country are being treated as if they do not have a legitimate claim to their own pension contributions. This is an unfair and unjust treatment meted out to workers by the NDC government.







The Alliance for Accountable Governance is overwhelmed at the continuous rise in the thievery and corruption of this government. This pension saga is only one of the many manifestations of the poor quality of national administration by the ruling government since it assumed power in January of 2009. The rate at which public resources are being squandered by this government is terrifying, now they have turned their thieving machinery to the meager contributions of the already poorly paid workers who are heading towards retirement.



AFAG wonders; where are the funds?







Workers must rise and fight this battle for themselves now and for their future. AFAG identifies with the pain pensioners are currently going through at the hands of the NDC government. We express our unwavering solidarity to the plight of our fellow Ghanaians. Hard working Ghanaians should not become beggars and impoverished after their end of service to the nation just because this government is being insensitive to the plight of pensioners.







AFAG calls on Trade Union, public interest groups, GUTA, students’ bodies, market women, commercial vehicle drivers and every aggrieved Ghanaians home and abroad to join our clarion call for a massive demonstration against this insensitive government.







God Bless Workers, God Bless Ghana.