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Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu has assured striking labour unions that their pensions are safe and secured. He is therefore, calling on them to call off their strike and dialogue with government to reach an amicable solution to their concerns. Labour Unions across the country Tuesday mornring announced an indefinite strike action over government�s failure to pay their tier two pension contributions. According to them, calls on government to release their pension funds have fallen on deaf ears. Speaking on Joy FM Tuesday evening, Mr Iddrisu said he was disappointed at the action of the labour unions because he had sent an invitation to the Labour Unions to discuss the matter but they (labour union) turned down the invitation. �Let me express my utmost disappointment that they had to embark on this course of action. Particularly so that as far back as 14 October I had sent an official invitation to them to for us to have a meeting today at 3:30 pm but labour turned down that invitation this afternoon,� he said. Describing the action as unlawful, Mr Iddrisu added that, �Discussions are still in progress and at the last tripartite meeting on 18 September 2014, I brought the matter to their attention and appealed for further dialogue and assured them that what they had considered an imposition of one of the entities was something government was considering to replace. But that government too feared some possible risks in future and didn�t want them as employees to run the scheme.� According to him, what the labour unions were seeking was for government to expand the board of trustees but he maintained that even if that was allowed government would still play the lead role. �Whether they accept it or not, government is the employer and the scheme must be controlled and regulated in a manner that tomorrow in the event of flooding, government can take absolute responsibility of those persons who would have retired after a dedicated service to the state,� he maintained. Mr Iddrisu explained that government would continue to dialogue with them on the appropriate mechanism and scheme to assure of the security of the fund into the future. �We are prepared to grant further deals which they are entitled to lump sum payment early next year and I thought that the best they could do�I�m still available at my office up to 1 am today,� he said.