We Can’t Trust Gov’t To Pay Our Tier Two Benefits – Striking Workers

Haruna Iddrisu

Striking public sector workers have questioned government's assurances of paying their tier two pensions in January 2015.

Government assured the workers of its readiness to pay the pension funds for beneficiaries next year, shortly after labour declared a strike last week.

The labour unions declared an indefinite strike over the management of their second tier pension funds, insisting they would appoint their own fund manager.

But government has objected to the proposal by the labour unions, insisting it cannot trust the union leaders to successfully manage the pension funds of the workers.

General Secretary of the Forum of Registered Public Sector Schemes, Reynolds Tenkorang is accusing government of illegally deciding to pay pensioners' second tier funds in January next year without any budgetary provision.

“The law says it is privately managed but government is saying that workers should not worry because when they retire government is in the position to pay them the tier two which is not in the budget proposal; it is not backed by law. In fact it is an illegality and we will not support that illegality,” he stated.

Mr. Tenkorang insists that government owes too many institutions, including statutory funds and cannot be depended upon to pay the tier two pension funds.

Meanwhile, the workers are yet to call off their strike, days after government secured a court injunction directing the workers to call it off.

The workers are locked up in a meeting, Tuesday to consider the way forward.

Joy News' Kwetey Nartey who is monitoring events at the meeting reported that the workers are likely to call off the strike after the meeting.