TUC schools public on pension scheme

STORY: FROM TODAY CORRESPONDENT

The Ghana Trades Union Congress is embarking on a nationwide educational campaign to sensitise persons employed in the informal sector on a new pension scheme introduced by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The TUC organised a float through the principal streets of Kumasi as part of activities to educate the public on the importance of pension.

This marked the second of countrywide drives after a similar exercise was organised in Accra.

Other regional capitals would soon also witness the presence of the workers’ union aimed at getting the public to appreciate and join the pension system that promises a comfortable retirement.

In Kumasi, members of the TUC shared flyers and other educational materials that explain the nature of the informal sector pension scheme to the public as they marched through the principal commercial districts such as Adum, Asafo Market, Central Market and the Kejetia Lorry Terminal.

In an interview, the Informal Economy Desk Officer of the TUC, Mrs. Rose Lamiorkor Kwei, said the informal sector contains about 80% of all workers in the country.

It is for this reason that her outfit has taken it upon itself to introduce the scheme to workers in that sector.

She said it is high time the idea that pension is meant for persons employed in the formal sector is debunked to allow for all groups to join irrespective of the nature of their employment.

According to her, the TUC has greatly succeeded in getting more people in the informal sector to join the scheme through their educational campaign.

Mrs. Lamiorkor Kwei said the informal pension scheme as at 2010 had 16,000 informal workers on it list but the number has since soared to 30,000 after the TUC initiated their campaign.

She described this as signs of good omen and an indication that their efforts are paying off which is an incentive for them to continue to woo more workers to join the scheme.

She said the scheme has been designed to fit all workers and the methods of accessing it has been simplified to avoid any sort of bureaucracies that could scare away informal sector employees.

The Head of Organisation at the TUC, Torgbui Adom Driayi II, described their mission in Kumasi as very impressive and was hopeful that their message has gone down well with the public.

He said the scheme offers informal sector employees the opportunity to take their destiny in their own hands and make the right decisions that would impact on their future.

He said the social protection chapter of the Labour Law calls for the protection of all workers in the country which includes persons outside the formal sector and much has to be done to ensure that this category of workers are protected.

Torgbui Driayi II said the TUC would take appropriate steps to engage government agencies such as the ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to pay attention to the informal sector.

The SSNIT informal sector pension fund was piloted in 2005 to collect contributions from workers outside the formal sector. A governing board for the fund is however yet to receive its license.

In 2008 government passed the Informal Sector Pension Scheme (Act 766) and it was launched 2009 by President John Evans Atta Mills.