Another pension battle between government and labour is looming as twelve labour unions are accusing government of amending sections in the Pensions Act 2008, Act 766.
[contextly_sidebar id=”LRKEC4OJ3ZQX5UJyJ6oSu3xQ0qeBjjE0″]According to them, the amendment could lead to a decrease in the payment of the tier one contributions to workers.
The twelve labour unions who are also demanding the payment of their tier two contributions at a press conference on Tuesday accused government and Parliament of disrespecting unions by amending sections of the Pensions Act without their knowledge.
They claim the amendment when approved by the President will lead to a decrease in their tier one contributions.
The Executive Secretary of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), Isaac Bampoe-Addo who addressed the media also accused government of using the amendment as a ploy to divert attention from their earlier demands on the payment of their tier two contributions.
“The amendment at this point in time cast doubts on the motive of government in the implementation of the pension reform,” he said.
He observed that the action has put the public sector workers in limbo adding that “pension affects the future of workers. It is therefore wrong on the part of government to have proceeded with amendment to the Pensions Act 766 without recourse to workers.”
“At the formulation stage of this Act there was massive stakeholder consultation throughout the country before the Act 766 was finally passed. It therefore raises a lot of questions why an amendment to it should be rushed through without consulting the major stakeholders,” he lamented.
Mr Bampoe-Addo further insisted that the amendment of the Act “is in bad faith and disrespectful to workers. The forum further condemned the action adding that it has serious implications on industrial relations”
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin