Pension Controversy: Striking workers, minister in crunch meeting

Representatives of striking public sector workers are locked up in a crunch meeting with Labour and Employment Minister Haruna Iddrisu in a move that is expected to restore industrial harmony.

The workers are kicking against government's decision to manage the tier two pension scheme and have withdrawn their services to register their protest.

The government has also proceeded to court demanding the return of the workers.

However, Employment Minister Haruna Iddrisu is meeting with the angry workers, Tuesday, in a desperate attempt to find a middle ground  with them.

Joy News' Fred Smith, who is monitoring events at the meeting, said the workers remain consistent in their demand.

He said the workers are still demanding to know where their tier two pension contribution is; how much has been accrued so far and for government to relinquish the management of the scheme to their individual scheme managers.

The Minister has also presented a position paper to the workers for their perusal.

According to Fred Smith, the two parties; workers and employment ministry, have broken into caucus meetings to discuss the various positions presented by the two parties and to take a final decision.

It is not clear yet whether the workers would agree to call off their strike after the meeting with the minister.

They however have eight days to respond to the writ of summons served on them by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

The writ, among other things, is asking the court to pronounce judgement on the legality of the strike, and also to determine who is the employer of the public sector workers and whether or not the employer can decide how the tier two pension scheme is managed.

Haruna Iddrisu believes the pronouncement by the court would provide clear guidelines on how to administer the tier two pension scheme. 

The Minister had early on promised to have Parliament review sections of the Pensions Act which he said has led to the dilemma the country is going through at the moment.