Ghana Federation of Labour calls for increasing retirement age to 65

Ghanaian

The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) is urging stakeholders to consider the prospect of increasing the retirement age from 60 to 65 years, contending that it is a timely initiative allowing capable retirees to continue making meaningful contributions to the workforce.

Dr. Abraham Koomson, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour, shared this perspective in an interview with

Read full articleCiti News. Dr. Koomson emphasized the need for a dialogue on extending the retirement age, citing an instance where a retiree displayed vigor and fitness, prompting the federation to propose discussions with stakeholders and the government.

"We were in a program where somebody was going for retirement, and we realized that the person was strong and fit and could have stayed on for a while. So, we realized that why don’t we discuss and put this across for stakeholders and government and see whether some adjustment could be made so that we don’t waste these people who have institutional memories to help the growth and development of wherever they will be working,” Dr. Koomson stated.

In addition to the call for discussions, Dr. Koomson underscored the necessity of amending the constitution to accommodate this proposed change. He acknowledged that constitutional adjustments are not immediate and stressed the importance of engaging in comprehensive discussions with the government.

“We have to engage the government and discuss the possibility. It is constitutional, so it means the constitution should be amended. It will not happen overnight, so we have to engage in discussions,” Dr. Koomson explained.

The Executive Secretary argued that, given the extended service in other sectors, such as the judiciary where judges may work until the age of seventy, individuals without health challenges could contribute meaningfully to the workforce beyond the current retirement age.