Four Teacher Unions are accusing government of defaulting in the payment of contributions to the Ghana Education Service Occupational Pension Scheme.
The unions include the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers and the Tertiary Educational Workers Union (TEWU).
According to the groups, “the last payment from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to our Pension Scheme was for the month of March 2022, which was paid in January 2023. This means we have nine (9) months outstanding”
In a joint statement, the unions said the estimated contribution in arrears is GH¢400 million
“Using the monthly contribution of the month of March 2022 as basis, we estimate that contributions in respect of members of the Scheme in arrears are in the region of Four Hundred and Thirty-Three Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Nineteen Ghana Cedis, Ninety Pesewas (GH¢433,379,819.90)”
The groups which fall under the Unions in Pre-Tertiary Education say (they) “the Educational worker is being denied any investment value of his or her contribution”
“In light of the above, we the Unions in Pre-Tertiary Education. wish to state emphatically that if by the end of February 2023, all the arrears are not paid, we have no other option than as the first line of action, take the necessary steps to ensure that the Regulator’s, (National Pensions Regulatory Authority, NPRA) fees are not paid effective March 2023:’ the statement concluded.
