The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC)-Ghana, along with other labor unions, is demanding that the government promptly pays all Tier-2 deductions and associated arrears and penalties to the fund managers.

The Union emphasized that any further delay in reimbursing fund managers with the Tier-2 deductions would disadvantage Ghanaian workers in terms of their pension benefits, particularly the return on investment.

King James Azortibah, the new General Secretary of TEWU of TUC Ghana, made this assertion in a statement sent to the Ghana News Agency in Accra to mark this year's May Day.

“Is that how to treat people who have worked hard to keep the economy and other social development agendas of the country on course all their working lives”?

He expressed concern about the current condition of Tier-2, which constitutes the lump sum for every pensioner, causing distress for retirees and those nearing retirement.

“It is very worrying to say that since 2020, when the first batch of retirees under the new pension scheme retired, what was paid them as a lump sum is nothing to write home about,” he said.

Mr. Azortibah urged the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to expedite the remittance of the unions’ dues deductions in compliance with the law to ensure the seamless operation of union activities.

“The over-three-month delays in releasing dues deductions by the CAGD are a major challenge, which we expect to stop immediately,” he said.

He called on the Ministry of Finance to, as a matter of urgency, issue financial clearance for the recruitment of more non-teaching staff to fill the ever-increasing vacancies in the various educational institutions.

“We call, for quick engagement with our social partners, to deploy modern cooking gadgets to our schools to reduce the burden of stress in cooking for large numbers in the schools,” he said.

He urged the government to prioritize negotiations and finalize the conditions of service for union members in universities and allied institutions. This, he emphasized, is essential for creating a conducive working environment in the universities.

Additionally, the Union invited citizens to join them in prayer for peaceful elections in 2024.

“The Ghanaian workers and the entire population need peace to contribute their quota to national development,” he said.