Tema, April 12, GNA - Residents of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) flats at Community Three Tema, have called on SSNIT to increase rents for its rental accommodation.

According to them, the increase is an attempt to provoke workers to demonstrate against the government for the difficult time that they are going through.

Reacting to the announced increase at a meeting on Sunday at Tema, they also rejected a letter from the Tema Municipal Assembly increasing refuse collection fees.

In a statement, the SSNIT tenants said the increase is an attempt to provoke workers unions and associations to ask for the privatisation of the Pension Scheme to give workers an option to chose.

It warned SSNIT not to force workers to ask the government to reduce the salaries and allowances of its staff because "they siphon most of contributions of workers and then turn back to ask workers to pay more".

They noted that they have been maintaining their flats without asking the Trust for reimbursement because of the failure of SSNIT to do so. The statement noted that most of the occupants are low-income earners and said the fact that there has not been any meaningful salary increase of civil servants over the past five years, SSNIT should not increase rents.

It pointed out that the inability of residents to settle their 40 thousand and 35 thousand cedi rent is the result of the general harsh conditions of workers in the country and expressed opposition to the proposed sale of the flats.

The residents stated that it is against the Rent Control Law to increase rent hundred per cent at any particular time and urged the Trust to rescind its decision.