Trade unions blasts NSSA

Published: 01 April 2014

Labour representative bodies on Monday hit out at the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) for indiscretion when investing workers contributions.

The labour bodies, which appeared separately before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare said the institution's operations were not benefitting workers and pensioners.

The trade unions called on NSSA to implement housing schemes that benefit lowly paid employees as well as pensioners. Public Service Association president Cecilia Alexander said workers were not properly represented in the NSSA board committees.

"Employers are mostly interested in the investments committee while workers representatives are in the benefits committee," she said.

Alexander said getting the board to approve an increase in pension payouts was impossible, adding the pensions must be hiked to over $500 per month. Pensioners are currently getting $60 a month. Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president George Nkiwane said the investments committee was the most powerful of the NSSA board committees.

He said as a result of lack of representation, labour bodies were in most cases surprised to read about some risky investments that NSSA would have made in the newspapers.

NSSA recently disclosed that it resorted to selling off buildings after it loaned over $25 million to some financial institutions which failed to pay back the loans. "We are on the NSSA board but we are not satisfied with our representation," said Nkiwane, adding most decisions were made at sub-committee level where they were not represented.

kiwane said the ZCTU had at one time pulled out of NSSA in protest over the way the affairs of the institution were being managed.

Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions president Jacob Gwavava said NSSA was not properly managed. "The chief executive must be given terms and a performance based contract," he said.

"There has been lack of management skills that can make NSSA a viable organisation," he said.

Gwavava also urged the government to review the retirement age that NSSA uses from 65 years to between 45 and 55 years given life expectancy in the country.

- New Ziana

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