Dear Editor,
On November 15 2007 my friend and former postal colleague Patrick Benjamin passed to the great beyond. Sadly, he had only retired as Senior Superintendent of mail in July 2007. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife and two children.
“Benjie” joined the postal service in May 1966 and served with distinction in a number of capacities. After 40 years of serving this nation, he retired but only benefited from three months pension. This saddened me and a host of his former colleagues and fellow pensioners. The law stipulates that the pension dies with the pensioner.
The labour movement has been championing the cause of workers for decades and has been successful in a number of areas. They need to step in here.
Labour laws passed a century ago were probably relevant then but with the demands of present day living and the need to be people/workers oriented, the labour movement should pursue some needed amendments. As my contribution in this regard, I suggest the following:
* Any worker providing an organization with 20-25 years of continuous labour should be guaranteed a pension for at least 40 percent of the years he/she served.
* Workers with over 25-30 years, a guarantee of 45 percent should be in place.
* Those with over 30-35 years – 50 percent.
* Retirees with over 35 years of service should receive a guarantee of 60 percent of the years worked.
The understanding here is that although the National Insurance Scheme will pay a survivors benefit, this will in no way deny his survivors his pension for the period suggested.
If this approach was never agitated for by the trade union movement, it is now apposite that they assemble logical arguments for debate in the relevant fora.
It will be an uphill task but with the financial demands to today (mortgage, loans and hire purchase) no longer should the pension die with the pensioner.
Yours faithfully,
L Dunsford Dickson
