Dear Editor,
According to a government release, public servants in 1992 were paid a monthly minimum wage of $3,137.00 from which NIS was deducted. So those who retired prior to 1992, irrespective of scale, after giving 33 years of service would have had both NIS and a public service pension, calculated on that salary. It became obvious that both pensions amounted to a pittance, so the government prescribed a 50% increase on the minimum scale and established a minimum NIS pension. As a result, you have retired public servants prior to 1992 currently receiving a combined pension of less than the minimum wage.
Is this fair, given that persons currently performing similar duties within different scales will be paid vastly more at retirement in keeping with the Pensions Act?
Pensioners, more prone to different ailments associated with old age, can hardly cope with the cost of living, including additional health care not covered by NIS, and, as a token of appreciation the government should consider the following:
(A) Pay 50% on the scale at time of retirement and not the minimum scale, or,
(B) Pay two thirds on the minimum scale in keeping with the Pensions Act, and,
(C) Pay NIS increases across the board to all pensioners.
Yours faithully,
D Sookdeo
