The Cape Coast District branch of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners Association has appealed to SSNIT to stop the deduction of GHC4.00 from the pension of its members in respect of a proposed Pension Medical Scheme.
In a petition submitted to SSNIT through the General Secretary of the National Pensioners Association, it also asked SSNIT to delete the names of its members from the pension medical scheme and compute the deductions made and pay same to them without delay.
The petition signed by Mr Thomas Appiah chairman of the Association explained that at the last emergency meeting of the eight local associations of the National Pensioners Association at Cape Coast held on 19thDecember 2013, the members decided not to join the proposed Pension Medical Scheme mooted by the National Pensioners.
The petition further said the National Pensioners Association did not discuss the deductions with members of the Cape Coast District secretariat but was unilaterally imposed on them by the National Secretariat.
It said this unilateral action really constitutes a violation of the fundamental human rights of its members and infringes the right to freedom of association as enshrined in article 21(1) (e) of the 1992 constitution.
The petition said since the association was formed 20 years ago, the National leadership has never accounted for the meager monthly deductions and there is therefore no guarantee that the proposed deductions would be accounted for.
It said the annual premium of GHC48.00 is considered too high taking ino consideration the numerical strength of the association which continue to increase every day.
The petition said there is no prospect that next year’s indexation would go far enough to provide any meaningful support for pensioners in the lower category to part with GHc4.00 a month.
In the light of the above the petition said the members cannot authorize additional monthly deductions from their meager pension.