The 12 labour unions demanding the payment of their tier two pension contributions from government are planning to stage a demonstration in Accra and Kumasi on November 20.
At a crunch meeting held on Thursday in Accra, the labour unions also resolved to from henceforth, wear red paraphernalia to get government to transfer their tier two contributions into their registered schemes.
The unions embarked on an indefinite strike some weeks ago but their strike was curtailed by a court injunction secured by government.
[contextly_sidebar id=”SS7BEmZdfnRlndJXmC314nHh2m6LBtSu”]Government has also filed a suit seeking interpretation into aspects of the Pension Act which has divided both camps.
The case which will be heard on November 18 at an Accra High Court will be the beginning of a possible long legal battle between government and the unions.
In a related development, the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), has indicated it will join the 12 labour unions in the counter suit against the government.
According to TEWU, their decision is in solidarity with their colleagues in other unions.
The 12 labour Unions have filed a counter-suit against the government.
They are asking the Industrial and Labour Division of the Accra High Court to compel government to declare as illegal, the Ministry of Finance’s decision to use Pension Alliance Trust as sole trustees of the second tier pension schemes for all employees on government payroll.
Speaking to Citi News on the sidelines of a two-day capacity building workshop for members of TEWU in Accra, the Deputy General Secretary of union, Augustine Saakur Karbo said TEWU will resist any attempt to impose any trustee on them.
He accused the government of “imposition,” adding that “the law does not allow that to happen except the government would want to be a lawless government.”
“So we as TEWU, we reject government’s imposition of Pension Alliance Trust and we unite with the 12 unions. We are prepared to meet them in court and on the 18th.”
He prayed the court to be fair in its judgement on the matter since public sector workers “haven’t done anything illegal.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan