Concerned civil servants have expressed dissatisfaction with the contributory pension scheme which government has introduced saying it is discriminatory and an act of thievery.
In a letter dated 7th August, 2018 addressed to Heads of Departments and Principal Secretaries, the civil servants have condemned government for not clarifying on the contributory pension scheme in the civil service.
The letter which has been signed by chairperson of the concerned civil servants Stanley Kadam’manja and secretary Misheck Chanunkha says the government workers find the scheme discriminatory because it is only targeting youthful civil servants.
“For instance, we seek to learn as to why the policy targets only those who are 35 years old and below. In its nature, this pension scheme is evil, discriminatory and aimed not only at victimizing youthful civil servants, but also to demotivate them as it has led to the scaling down of the already meagre salaries meant for their welfare,” reads the letter.
In the letter, the civil servants have demanded government to explain why it failed to civic-educate all civil servants on the matter and provide a justification as to why the scheme only targets a particular age group.
Government has also been accused of stealing from the workers by hiding personal pension accounts of the civil servants under the scheme.
The accounts are believed to be held at Old Mutual which is the Administrator of the scheme.
The civil servants have told government to provide them with information about the personal accounts so that they can follow up every transaction taking place.
“We want to have proof that the money deducted from our salaries is indeed being credited to our accounts at Old Mutual,” the concerned workers say.
They have also argued that the scheme seriously breaches their terms and conditions of service and have told government to pay back the deducted money to all civil servants who are below 35 years of age but were employed before the contributory pension scheme was introduced.
“We demand that government should make calculations for all our past liabilities and pay everyone accordingly before sanctioning the implementation of the new scheme. We strongly believe that, perhaps, the new scheme should only have applied to those who are newly recruited since it will be part of their conditions of service.”
The workers gave government two weeks to respond to the concerns.
I simply don’t understand why a caring government can do such inconsiderate thing? kubera anthu Osauka zoona?.kulephera kutisamala ndiye akusamala yani?.Im happy that others have risen up and are fighting for us, bigup ngati ndikusonkha tisonkha mpaka boma libweze zimene labazo.
Much interest is on the money that we worked for before the pension scheme and not the system itself since it was parliament that passed the policy.
let’s understand our government. Vutotu titha kumaloza zala boma koma sitikuziwa kuti chinachitika nchiyani kuti pabwere pension scheme. mu chaka cha 2011 izizi aphungu athu anakambilana kuti zizicgitika Poona mavuto omwe anabwera ndi anzathu pension ikawagwera. koma mwina tifunse as to why targeting the youths only? arent those above 35 years civils servants?
kodi kungofikira mwezi Wa November uja chaka chatha kungoyendera circular kuti muyamba kutitchetcha ma 5% munamuuza ndani? sitinakambilane izi. musamaganize kuti chimene nyumba yamaamulo inalambilana ndi anthu a 2011 enafe tinaliko. muzitiuza tikamakafila maform a ntchito aja chonde
We want our money now or never, how what we already worked for be transferred without our knowledge?