The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) has called on the Government to urgently restore the pension entitlements of thousands of Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) pensioners affected by the 2012 pension reforms.
FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh says more than a decade after their retirement incomes were drastically reduced, many pensioners are still fighting for what they believe is rightfully theirs.
“This is a gross violation of the rights and dignity of pensioners. They should not have to spend their final years fighting for the retirement security they worked and contributed towards throughout their lives,” Ms Singh said.
According to the 2012 Pensioners Committee’s submission to the Constitution Review Commission, approximately 6,000 pensioners were affected by the reforms.
The Committee also raised concerns over Decree 51 of the 2011 FNPF Transition Decree, which it said prevented affected pensioners from pursuing their grievances through the courts.
FWRM says many of those affected have since passed away without seeing their grievances resolved.
Ms Singh expressed particular concern about the impact on older women, who often enter retirement with lower savings because of unequal earnings, interrupted employment and unpaid caregiving responsibilities.
“For many older women, a pension is their primary source of financial security and independence. It enables them to meet basic needs, access healthcare, afford medication, maintain housing and support themselves and, in many cases, their families,” she said.
“Denying them what they are owed further entrenches the inequalities women experience throughout their lives impacting their ability to care for themselves and live with dignity.”
While acknowledging the Government’s interim pension top-ups, FWRM maintains that temporary financial assistance is not a substitute for resolving the underlying pension dispute.
The organisation says affected pensioners deserve their full entitlements rather than temporary relief while they continue waiting for a resolution.
FWRM is calling on the Government to urgently address the outstanding grievances, ensure pensioners receive what they are owed and uphold their right to seek justice and appropriate remedies.
It says pensioners deserve to spend their remaining years with dignity, financial security and peace of mind after a lifetime of work.
