CLOSAG SENSITIZES MEMBERS ON PENSIONS

Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, April 30, 2015

As part of activities marking this year’s May Day celebration, the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has held a durbar to sensitize its members on pensions.

Since mid-2014, unions in the public sector, numbering about 12, including CLOGSAG, had been protesting against the government's management of the Tier Two Pension Scheme and the slow pace of the implementation of the overall Tier Three Pension Scheme.

Alhaji Mahamadu Azonko, President of CLOGSAG in a pre-May Day message bemoaned the lack of attention given civil servants by politicians saying “I look forward to the day politicians will spend only five minutes thinking about our welfare.”

He said “we make everything for them to succeed but our success does not mean anything to them,” adding “if there are successful politicians there will definitely be successful and hardworking civil servants.”

Alhaji Azonko said that some powerful forces were trying hard to cripple CLOGSAG but promised that “we will never collapse. In fact, we will strive to make sure our cherished association stays stronger.”

He said the welfare of civil servants was paramount and they were not going to compromise on matters affecting them.

Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG said the numerous concerns raised by workers in the implementation of the Three Tier Pension Scheme as well as bringing an end to multiple pensions in the public service were valid.

“We ought to constantly remind ourselves that our current conditions of service have been attained through continuous struggle in the past and the present by various workers’ unions and association.”

He said “it would be self-deception if we presume that our future aspirations would be achieved on a silver platter.”

Mr. Bampoe Addo said that CLOGSAG was very much concerned about the improvement in pensions for workers especially those within the civil and local government services saying “CLOGSAG bemoans the deplorable conditions of retired public officers and would unceasingly pursue activities to improve the lot of pensioners and those about to retire.”

He said that “the hope for the realization of better pension has become a mirage,” adding “at each point in time when workers desire to see clear improvements in levels of pension scheme, their aspirations were dashed and had to wait for another long time in the future.”

He added “we see no end to the ‘promise and fail approach’ for better basis for payment of pension.”

The programme had the theme: ‘The Three Tier Pension Scheme is Kpakpakpa!”They later presented awards to members who were retiring from the civil service this year.