Dr Edmund N. Delle, Member of the Central Committee of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), on Thursday expressed his support for the restoration of the End-of-Year-Service Benefit (ESB) proscribed by the NDC government, saying it should take effect from the day it was cancelled.
Its outright abolition, he said, implied a contravention of trade union rights and violation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 98 on the right to organise and bargain which Ghana has ratified.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Dr Delle however said the tripartite committee comprising the government, employers and Trades Union Congress (TUC) should work out acceptable guidelines for the implementation and payment of such benefits.
The ESB or gratuity for Public Servants was a provision in each negotiated collective bargaining agreement during the period 1958-1990, which allowed payment of lump sums of money as terminal benefits to public and private employees on retirement, resignation, or termination of appointment.
Among reasons the former government assigned for its cancellation was the huge amount involved as a result of periodic increases in salaries.
Dr Delle said the restoration is necessary because of disparity in the payments of gratuity for civil servants and what Social Security and National Insurance Trust Fund (SNNIT) contributors receive.
Furthermore, he said, the cancellation of the service benefit whittles away gains of organised labour in the area of collective bargaining agreement thereby jeopardising the security of the worker after retirement.
The persistent rising inflation is seriously eroding the meagre SNNIT pension and that may reduce the worker to the level of pauper.
Dr Delle said the restoration would go a long way to control migration of talented workers to other countries to seek greener pastures, minimise or prevent malpractice like embezzlement and fraud and above all, ensure dedication to work which will lead to increased productivity.
“A good terminal benefit builds morale and good morale is very essential for increasing productivity in any enterprise”.
Source: GhanaWeb
