Transcript Social security Reforms

Paper presented by
Vimbai Mushongera
Zimbabwe Congress Of Trade Unions
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Background
Introduction
UN Declaration 1948- 22 &25
ILO Social security convention
Social security status
WHO Standards
Proposed reforms
Recommendations
conclusion
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ZCTU was formed in 1981, 28th of February
It is a membership driven organization
The Congress is composed of thirty five
affiliates with a total membership of more than
four hundred thousand workers
Has organised informal economy workers rural
& urban based 1.25 Million- Zimbabwe
Chamber of Informal Economy Assoc -MOU
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Article 22 of the Universal Declaration states: Everyone, as
member of society, has a right to social security.
ILO Conventions
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102/1952 Social Security Minimum standards
118/1962 Equality of treatment
121/1964 Employment Injury Benefits
128/1967 Invalidity, Old Age survivors benefits
130/1969 Medical care , Sickness Benefits
157/1982 Maintenance of Social Security
168/1988 Employment promotion& protection
182/ 1985 Child Labour
183/ 2000 Maternity Protection
189/1998 Job Creation in small size
ILO Recommendation 169 – Social Protection as cornerstone to
transformation of IE activities
WHO
UNICEF
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NSSA
National Aids Council
Private Pension Schemes
Insurance Schemes
Private Medical Aid Schemes
Housing Cooperatives
Employment Creation & Micro- Credit Schemes
Informal arrangements
 Funeral Plans
 Traditional and cultural
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Low pension payouts
Does not support Low Cost housing scheme
facilities to contributors
Excludes medical aid cover
Has been politicised
Lacks transparency in investment portfolios
Has not been subjected to regular annual audit
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NSSA Act
Pensions & Provident Fund Acts
Weak National Policy Framework
No social Protection Floor –Not Sustainable
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Need to undertake a an imperial study of sustainable Social
Protection Needs for all workers
There is also need to de –mystify Actuarial Sciences & medical
aid
A clear distinction between benefits given to those injured at work
and the pensioned off
Investments should be targeted at benefiting contributing
members
The need to extend social protection to informal economy & rural
workers as a means of transforming the precarious activities
Recognising informal work & rural work = work=labour act.
Recognise the bilateral and tripartite structures for Social
Dialogue
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It covers the following:
- medical care
- sickness benefits
- unemployment benefits
- old age benefits
- employment injury benefits
- family benefits
- maternity benefits
- invalidity benefits
- survivors’ benefits
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Universal protection
(2) Right to benefits
(3) Protection against
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Right to decent work
(4) Income security
(5) Actuarial equivalence between
contributions and benefits
(6) Guarantee of minimum return
(7) Gender equity
(8) Stable financing
(9) Fiscal responsibility
(10) State responsibility
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The current social security systems in
Zimbabwe have failed to address the question
of social security protection, calls for a need to
come up with a local strategy that would
address the aspects of social protection floor, a
concept which tries to provide a logical and
coherent framework for the core content of the
basic social rights even in times of crises
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Adequate social protection for all drawing on
basic social protection floor as endorsed by the
98th session of the ILC as part of the global jobs
pact
Promotion of the global jobs pact including the
social protection floor
Need for the advancement of social and
employment policies
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Universal access to a basic social benefit
package was never codified in any ILO
social security Convention. Thus, a new
mechanism could complement Convention
No. 102 and the other social security
Conventions to ensure that social security
standards provide the best guidance to its
member States for the establishment of a
basic benefit package (social protection
floor) and help countries, once the package
has been established, to move towards
more comprehensive social security
protection, including a higher level of
income security in relation to the
contingencies, as well as improved medical
care benefits, as laid down in Convention
No. 102 and the other up-to-date social
security Conventions.
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Requests countries that do not yet have extensive social
security to build “adequate social protection for all, drawing
on a basic social protection floor, including:
 Access to health care ,
 Income security for the elderly and persons with disabilities,
 Child benefits, and
 Income security combined with public employment guarantee
schemes for the unemployed and the working poor”
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Call for a stakeholders conference
Research into what other Countries have done in the
area of social security
Research into the policies and legal framework .
The surplus of contributions to NSSA should be given
back to the Contributors so that they invest it in
projects of their choice
Need for workers to take control of their pensions
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Social security is a right for all
Benefits should be spread beyond
contributors and seek to redress the
imbalance in standards of living .
Health Insurance should not be through
additional contributions by workers
A call to review the payouts on
retirement is a must.
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THANK YOU!
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