Respect and protect employee rights

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  The Grand Pension Plaza, in downtown Kigali. Other projects countrywide are struggling to attract occupants. The New Times/File.
• The New Times

As Rwandans marked the International Labour Day on Tuesday, questions about the conditions in which some Rwandans work came to light – once again. The Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), for instance, has faulted institutions that have made it a habit not to remit their employees’ social security funds.

It is baffling to learn that the country’s compliance rate currently stands at a paltry 10 per cent. While some people may find this figure “reasonable” by African standards, there’s no reason why the overwhelming proportion of employers should not meet their obligations. Yet most of these employers actually deduct these funds from their staff pay but fail to remit them to the pension authority.

The international labour conventions that Rwanda has ratified should be reflected at the workplace. The fact other African countries are equally violating employee rights must not be an excuse for Rwandan employers. If the RSSB is to reach the targeted compliance of 60 per cent by 2015, there is need for a new thinking and a deliberate effort to respect employment rights.

Retirement with dignity is a right for every employee. It’s inhumane to send an employee, who has worked diligently during their most productive years, into retirement without pension. Employees must understand that it is their right that their employers remit these funds without fail. They also have a right to verify with the RSSB if their contributions are being remitted. It is everyone’s right to secure their future.

In particular, public institutions have both a moral and legal obligation to clear their arrears. That way, the pension board will only have the burden of ensuring that private institutions comply as well.

Severe actions must be taken against employers who are adamant, choosing to continue jeopardising the future of their employees.