According to the Pensions Act (Act 766), the government is required to deduct 5.5% from workers' salaries for their second-tier pension scheme. However, for the past twelve months, the second-tier pension of all public sector workers, including pre-tertiary teachers, has been in arrears. This delay has created agitation among the rank and file of the unions, with leadership calling on the government to transfer the arrears without delay.
President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the delay has resulted in retirees receiving their pensions minus the twelve months' arrears. "We are talking about an amount of GHC636,000,000, and this figure I mentioned is even without the penalties. If a Ghanaian public sector worker retires today, what it means is that he or she is taking pension minus the twelve months. As to when he or she will get the twelve months, only God knows," he said.
King Ali Awudu, President of the CCT, criticized the government for flouting the Pensions Act 766, which requires the government to transfer funds within fourteen days and pay a 3% penalty in case of delay. "The most annoying thing is that government does not pay the penalties on these monies. The law says that if government fails to pay on the fourteenth of the next month, 3% penalty, and it is compounded," he said.
General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah Tanko, described the delay as an act of provocation, stating that while top government officials enjoy luxurious retirement benefits, ordinary workers are denied their rightful pensions. "President and his people, they will all retire on Article 71. When they go, a committee will be constituted, and they will work out what is due them. Some of them will take their bungalows, some of them will take their vehicles away, but the ordinary worker, what is he taking away? If the ordinary worker is not taking anything away, and what is due him too, you deny him, it is an act of provocation," he stressed.
The unions have warned that the delay may lead to agitations in the coming weeks, with Tanko cautioning that "when the masses are about to react, they don't tell you anything. The masses, they have their own time, they have their own time of exploding." The situation highlights the need for the government to prioritize the payment of second-tier pension arrears to avoid any potential disruptions in the education sector.
Furthermore, the delay in paying the second-tier pension arrears has resulted in financial hardship for many retired teachers, who rely on their pensions as their primary source of income. The situation has also created uncertainty and anxiety among active teachers, who are worried about their own retirement benefits.
The government's failure to pay the second-tier pension arrears has also raised questions about its commitment to the welfare of public sector workers. The situation has sparked concerns that the government is not taking the welfare of its workers seriously, and that it is more interested in protecting the interests of top officials.
In conclusion, the delay in paying the second-tier pension arrears has created a crisis situation that requires immediate attention from the government. The government must prioritize the payment of the arrears to avoid any potential disruptions in the education sector and to ensure that retired teachers receive their rightful pensions. Failure to do so may lead to agitations and unrest among teachers, which could have far-reaching consequences for the country.
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