TUC urged to establish health fund

The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has implored trade union leaders to advocate the establishment of a health support fund for workers in both the formal and informal sectors.

He said such a fund would complement the benefits they enjoyed under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and also cater for ailments which were not covered by the NHIS.

At the founding conference of the newly formed Union of Informal Workers Association (UNIWA) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Iddrisu said such a fund must be owned and managed by the leadership of the workers union, with the government playing a facilitating role.

UNIWA

The union was established in 2013, with support from the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, a German Non-governmental Organisation (NGO). The membership of the union includes groups such as the Greater Accra Traders Association, the Ga East Traders Union, the Physically Challenged Workers Union and the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).

It will be the largest trade union group and the 19th affiliated member of the TUC when it attains a national status. Currently, its membership is based in the Greater Accra Region.

Ailments not covered by NHIS

Mr Iddrisu said ailments such as urinal disorder, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases,  kidney problems among others which were not covered by the NHIS could be addressed by such a fund.

He said such diseases could be adequately taken care of by the fund if the person contributed a minimum of GH¢3 a month.

The minister said for instance that a GH¢3 or GH¢4 contribution a month from a total workforce of 64,000 should be able to generate about GH¢23 million within a year.

 “What the government can do, which I can happily share with you is that, if you want legislation, I will be happy to support you to declare that a health support fund is hereby established. We expect voluntary contribution from GH¢2 to GH¢5 from both the informal and formal workers of Ghana,” he said.   

Review of Health Insurance Act

On the National Health Insurance Act, Mr Iddrisu assured the workers that he would become a strong advocate for the review of the act on behalf of deserving pensioners of the country.

“I have examined the exemption clause under the NHIS which says 70 years, yet the retiring age under the Constitution and in the public service is 60. So it means that you are asking the poor retiree to wait for an additional 10 years to be able to access health care under exemption. That is not an acceptable social practice or social intervention,” he said.

He said he would lead a strong advocacy, supported by the workers union, for a review of the years downwards to at least 65 or at best 60.

“And I think we would have been responding to a moral obligation of supporting the aged and persons who better deserve the government’s support,” Mr Iddrisu said.

Unity

The Interim Chairman of UNIWA, Mr Samuel Odoi Mensah, said the idea to bring workers in the informal sector, which was mooted years ago, had come to a reality and gave an assurance that the association would bring workers in the informal sector both in the rural and urban areas.

The Resident Director of the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, Mrs Daniela Kuzu, and the Representative of the Danish Trade Union Solidarity Centre, Lotte Kejser, both called for unity to ensure that the association grew to be a force to reckon with in the country.

Writer’s Email: severious.dery@graphic.com.gh