Decision to pay axed workers is a right move

EMPLOYMENT, in most cases is at will. At-will employment refers to the rights of an employer to terminate an employee at any time and for any reason, as long as it is not illegal or contrary to an agreement.

In the Fifth Phase Government, there were some public employees who were axed from civil service for forging certificates, but all in all they worked for the country and its people. They were until this far denied their social security contributions.

But much to their relief, President Samia Suluhu Hassan decided recently that the axed workers should be paid. The decision by the government to pay social security contributions to 14,516 civil servants who were axed has been welcomed by trade unions and pension funds.

Undoubtedly, President Samia looked at the matter in a different angle and found that employees terminated by an employer have certain rights and that she found it right, despite their mistakes to receive the final pay cheques.

In the past there had been workers in public service who had no certificates, held forged certificates or they had no qualifications. The President showed compassion to the axed workers and decided that they should get their social security contributions.

In psychology it is insisted that punishment should be effective in changing the behaviour of the wrongdoers. It is further held that punishment should be modest, timely, equitable, appropriate, and accurately targeted.

In addition, in philosophy it is said that criticism should leave the one being criticised with a feeling of having been helped. Implementation of the decision will start in November this year.

The government’s decision will provide a relief to the sacked civil servants. It is true that forgery is a crime, but some of the workers might have lost their certificates, so in order to make both ends meet they had to get others from the streets perhaps.

Every person making or signing or attesting any such certificate containing a statement which is false, and which they either know or believe to be false may  be punished with imprisonment or fine.

Because of the criminality of the act, reinstating the workers was not an option for the government, given the fact that forging certificates is a crime, at least paying them their contributions they made to the social security funds will work well for them.

The government has come out well, with rethinking about how to treat some of the otherwise excellent employees and good people for a long time. It is right to go the constructive, educative, and compassionate route.

Both, the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), will spend 46.8bn/- to pay the former workers, who had dedicated their   services to the public, only to be fired after it was realised that they had presented false documents when securing employment.

The payments to be made are in regard to statutory monthly deductions from social security funds. For one to be paid their contributions to the pension funds, one would be required to have two passport size photos, a bank statement and a copy of the national identity card, voter card or a driving licence.

They will be required to fill in the willing certificates that employers will submit to the pension funds to facilitate payments, which would be channelled to members’ bank account numbers.