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Four occupational pension schemes have jointly called on government to ensure that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) paid the “right amount” of past credits to retirees.

The schemes, known as the FORUM, is made up of Health Sector Occupational Pension Scheme, Ghana Education Service (GES) Occupational Pension Scheme, Judicial Service Occupational Pension Scheme, and the Hedge Master Trust Occupational Pension Scheme.

Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the FORUM, in a statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said on June 10, 2020, the FORUM held a Press Conference and declared that if by 25th June, 2020, steps were not taken to pay appropriate past credits other than “the meagre past credits unilaterally determined by SSNIT, the FORUM would embark on an industrial action in solidarity with retired public servants.”

It said on June 22 the National Labour Commission (NLC) invited the FORUM and other stakeholders including SSNIT for a hearing on July 8, but on July 6, the Commission postponed the hearing until July 29, 2020.

The FORUM expressed the hope that there would not be further postponement by the Commission and that it would not relent in its efforts to obtain justice for retirees who received or about to receive past credits from SSNIT.

“Calls from retired public servants have not ceased and they have been wailing considering their current predicament. Most of them cannot stand the inhuman levels of past credits unleashed upon them.

“Indeed, they are telling us that they are gradually dying…The resolution of this problem must be regarded as a national emergency since it’s a life and death issue,” the statement said.