Government insures all GES workers – Minister

Government has secured a life insurance package with SIC Life Company (SIC Life) for all workers of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

Under the package, any GES worker, who dies or falls ill critically would be given a sum cover up to GH¢10,000, depending on the medical report.

Also, a GH¢6,000 cover would be given to personnel, who would be involved in a personal accident, based on the degree of injury.

In furtherance to the initiative, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education and Mrs Elizabeth Wyns Dogbe, Managing Director of SIC Life, signed the Memorandum of Understanding for their respective institutions at a brief event in Accra, to operationalize its implementation.

Leaders of Ghana National Association of Teachers, Coalition of Concerned Teachers and Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana of the Trade Union Congress (TEWU-TUC) also signed on behalf of their unions.

Dr Opoku Prempeh explained that the initiative was part of governments plan to incentivize, motivate and reward the hard work of teachers in the country to give off their best.

“In order for the country to have a productive and thriving economy, the level of education of the citizenry needs to be strong and solid and this is the mandate entrusted to teachers,” he said.

The Minster noted that government would ensure that the professional development and work environment needs of the GES would be treated with respect.

Mrs Dogbe remarked that, having been part of the growth and development of teachers by sponsoring the annual best teachers’ awards for the past eight years, the company found it necessary to collaborate with the Education Ministry to insure teachers.

She said the initiative would enable SIC Life to extend the company’s most dependable and customer-friendly insurance product to teachers and further strengthen and deepen the relationship between the two institutions.

Mr Augustine Saakuur-Karbu, General Secretary of TEWU-TUC, said the initiative was timely because the conditions of services of GES workers were poor.

“This has been long overdue. People devoted and sacrificed for 10 to 30 years and they go home as a pauper. This cannot solve all the problems but when government met and discussed with us we all welcomed it because is a good motivation for our members”, he said.

Source: GNA