Railway Pensioners Angry Over Pension Arrears, Petition Gov't

The leadership of the Ghana Railway Company Limited Pensioners Association has appealed to government settle all salary arrears in accordance with CAP 30 of 1995 which states that all salary increments for serving officers must reflect on that of Railway pensioners.

Below is the full statement forwarded to Modernghana:

The executives of the Ghana Railway Cap 30 pensioners Association wish to issue this press statement to highlights what we consider as unfair treatment being meted out to members of the Ghana Railway Cap 30 Pensioners Association by our former employer- Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) and the government of Ghana.

Cap 30 in accordance with the Government Standing Order as contained in the Controller and Accountant General Circular Ref:CAG/Adm.3035/95/40 dated 11th September,1995, the Railway Cap 30.

Pensioners under Public Institutions will enjoy pension increases as and when serving officers were granted increases in salaries.

In effect, whenever there is a salary increase for serving officers, it should reflect on the salary of pensioners of Railways under Cap 30. In 2017, 1st July, active serving officers of Ghana Railway Workers were granted 35% increment in salary.

By the standing orders as contained in the Controller and Accountant circular, the 35% increases in salary of active serving officers should reflect in the salary of pensioners under Cap 30.

Our counterpart on Cap 30 in other Public sector were on the other hand granted 12 and half percent increase by government with effect from 1st January 2017 and again 10% increase with effect from 1st January 2019.

Interestingly, neither of the two increment (35% and 12 and half %) respectively had reflected in the salary of pensioners under Ghana Railway Cap 30 scheme to date.

This development compelled the executives of the Ghana Railway Pensioners Association to find out from the Controller and Accountant General why the two increment has not reflected in our pensions.

Our enquiry revealed that the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Finance had directed the Controller and Accountant General not to pay increment to Railway pensioners under Cap 30 when there is salary increment.

Government according to the Controller and Accountant General Department had directed that due to fiscal constraints, Government would no longer be able to absorb the pensions of retired staff of public institutions who negotiate salary increments higher than what has been granted the Public sector.

Henceforth, such institutions are to pay the monthly pensions of their retired staff. Attach is the Controller and Accountant General circular.

Following this and in our attempt to comply with the government directive, we petitioned our sector Minister, Hon. Joe Ghartey, Minister of Railway Development on the 30th November 2017 to seek audience with him over the directive as contained in the Circular.

The sector Minister did not respond to our petition. We then petitioned the president of the Republic, Nana Akufo Addo in a letter dated 15th June 2018.

We did not hear from the two so we went ahead and petitioned the Managing Director of Ghana Railway Company Limited, our former employer to grant us audience for a meeting to deliberate on the new Controller and Accountant General directive.

This petition was dated 12th December 2018. To date, neither our former employer-Ghana Railway, the Railway Sector Minister nor the President has responded to our petition.

At a meeting held with the entire membership of the Railway Pensioners under Cap. 30 Association on the 6th of June 2019, the meeting came to the conclusion and resolved as follows:

We requested that all Railway Cap 30 pensioners under the Public Institutions should be treated equally with other pensioners in public sector as far as increases in pensions are concern.

By that we are appealing to Government through the media to pay us all the arrears based on the 12 and half percent and the 10% increase granted all Cap 30 pensioners in the Public Sector.

Francis Koomson

(Chairman, GRCL Pensioners Association)