Humiliation at the time of retirement

After serving as a civil servant for more than thirty years, it is important to let the public know what treatment is meted out to government employees in the primary sector. In fact, I served as a primary school teacher since the early seventies and in the course of last year I submitted my request to the authorities to forego my pre-retirement leave.

It is widely known that since some two or three years many employees in primary schools prefer to forego their pre-retirement leave and remain in service until they reach the age of sixty. After making my option, I called at my school as usual expecting in any case that any decision of the authorities would be communicated to me in due course and with a minimum respect and consideration that an officer having served for so many years duly deserves.

To my great surprise on calling at school one morning, I was not allowed to record my presence with the consequence that I could hardly hide my embarrassment. The person responsible for the administration at the school informed me that the school had received a letter to the effect that I was already on pre-retirement leave. I understood that the person in charge of the school could not do otherwise than abide by the decision of the ministry.

The harsh reality for me was that I had to return to my residence in humiliation as I was not informed that my request to forego my retirement leave had been turned down. I calculated the number of leave to which I was entitled and realized that same was reduced by one or two days.

On the same day, I contacted my union the GHTU and was informed that the matter would be looked into but after several days nothing was heard in connection with my case. I must confess that calling at the office of the ministry, I received a satisfactory treatment from the part of an officer who admitted that I needed to be notified well in advance.

The fact remains that civil servants cannot be treated in such a ruthless and humiliating way. I make an appeal to the authorities to the effect that no other officer still in service be subjected to such a harsh and inhuman treatment particularly at the time of retirement.

Teacher