The leadership of the FORUM has called on the government to settle over GHC1 billion in arrears representing nine months under the second-tier pension scheme.
This plea was made during a meeting with government officials on April 18, as the FORUM emphasized the importance of clearing the outstanding payments before the upcoming May Day celebrations.
In an exclusive interview with our labor correspondent, Daniel Opoku, Mr. Thomas Tanko Musah, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and a member of the FORUM, expressed his concerns about the delay in the payment of union dues. He assured that all arrears would be settled by the end of the week, with a specific focus on addressing the three-month outstanding dues.
Furthermore, Mr. Musah highlighted President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to rectifying the situation for over 5,000 pensioners who were underpaid in 2020. The calculated amount of approximately GHC56 million is set to be disbursed to the affected individuals by the end of the week.
Regarding the nine months’ arrears under the second-tier pension scheme, the General Secretary reiterated that payment would be made before the May Day celebrations. He emphasized that the government owes the public sector schemes GHC1 billion in total, and a committee has been established to determine the penalties associated with the arrears.
It is worth noting that members of the FORUM had previously planned to commence a nationwide strike on May 2 to push for the resolution of these outstanding pension arrears. The timely payment of these dues is crucial for the financial well-being of pensioners and retired public sector workers.
