Retired teachers have petitioned the National Assembly to establish circumstances that have caused delays in paying their retirement benefits.
In a petition presented to the House on their behalf by Mwatate MP Peter Mbogho Shake, the retired teachers claimed some of them have never been paid retirement dues and pension.
“In Mwatete, some of the retired teachers have neither been communicated to be their employer, TSC, up to date nor paid their monthly pension and the lump sum for the services they offered during their years of service,” the petition reads in part.
The teachers said continued non-payment of retirement benefits and pensions has subjected them to live in a deplorable state.
The teachers said they are aware of others who retired with them at the same time and were paid.
They prayed that the National Assembly establishes the circumstances that have occasioned delayed payments in Mwatate and the entire country.
They further asked MPs to engage TSC to provide data and statistics of all unpaid retired teachers in the country, indicating when they will be paid the said dues.
The government provides retirement benefits to public officers as part of their terms of service with a view to providing them with social security in old age as stipulated in Article 43(1)(e) of the Constitution.
The Pension Act (Cap.189) makes provisions for granting and regulating the payment of pensions, gratuities and other allowances in respect of public service officers.
The provision of retirement benefits to public officers is intended to ensure a smooth transition from active service with employment income to retirement with a certain level of replacement income.
This is so that the standard of living for public officers does not change drastically in old age.
