CLOGSAG Members Angry over Wrongful Deductions from their Salaries

Some aggrieved members of the Civil and Local Government Service Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), in the New Juabeng Municipality of the Eastern Region are questioning circumstances leading to the unauthorized and “illegal” deductions from their monthly salaries purported to be tier 3 pension deductions.

The members are accusing some CLOGSAG National Executives of creating a fund management company and have colluded with cohorts at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to forcibly and illegally deduct 5% of salaries of government workers across the country, a development which is creating tension between workers and CLOGSAG.

In a resolution signed by Convenor of the group, Michael Adjei, addressed to the Eastern Regional Executive Council of the Association and copied to the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG – Dr. Isaac Bampoe Addo, the affected members kicked against such deductions, saying they were advised and believed same to be true that tier 3 pensions were optional and an employee had the choice of selecting a fund manager if that employee wishes to sign onto tier 3 pension scheme.

“We demand without further delay, the stoppage of these deductions, a restoration of the status quo and a refund of all monies deducted to the affected workers with immediate effect,” the resolution stated.

Meanwhile, an individual member of the Association in Nalerigu in the North East Region, Yakubu Baba Seidu Kamara, has also similarly petitioned the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG over the development.

According to him, per the National Pensions Act 2008 (Act 766), tier 3 pension fund was supposed to be voluntary and so he wonders why such deductions should be made without him subscribing to the Scheme.

Kamara described such action as a contravention of section 70 (1) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) and Regulation 93 (2) of the Public Fund Management Regulations 2019 (LI 2378).

“As a member of this association, I was not informed of this deduction and did not give my consent for such deduction to take place,” Kamara lamented and called for an immediate seizure and refund of same.

Source: Ghananewsonline.com.gh