Nana Akomea tells the government that public servants deserve pay raises.
Nana Akomea, Managing Director of Inter-City STC, has expressed his condolences to the country's public workers regarding their living conditions.
Four teacher unions are currently on strike in order to demand a 20% increase in their Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
The unions, which included the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the TEWU, and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana, resigned on Monday, July 4, 2022.
The Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) has also announced that its members will go on strike on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in response to related demands.
In a letter signed by the General Secretary of the PSWU, Bernard Adjei and addressed to the National Labour Commission, the Presidency, Ministry of Employment and Finance Ministry including other sector authorities, the decision to strike was taken at an emergency meeting on July 8.
"This follows the failure of Government (Our Employer) to respond and or honour the request for payment of Cost-of-Living Allowance at 20% of Basic Salaries to ameliorate the economic hardship currently faced by members."
"It could be recalled that on May 1, 2022, Organized Labour led by the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) and on behalf of all workers of Ghana made a request for the payment of COLA to workers.
"This was followed by a formal request to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana on 24th June 2022, which unfortunately has not been honoured".
"In the midst of rising cost of living, inflation currently pegged at 27.6% (with a propensity to rise further), and pending astronomical increases in utility tariffs, the economic analysis which formed the basis of our acceptance of a 1-year salary increment for the year 2022 has obviously been thrown out of gear".
“Considering the worsening economic challenges, members of the PSWU are left with no other option but to draw attention to their economic wellbeing”, parts of the letter read.
The topic was discussed on Tuesday's edition of Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", Nana Akomea stated that the workers' case with the government is legitimate, emphasizing that "everyone admits that public sector workers deserve financial support due to the cost of living." They have earned it!" However, he begged them to be patient with the government.
He believed the President would address their concerns because he was aware of their demands.
Nonetheless, he reminded the workers of the current state of the economy, which has resulted in an IMF bailout, and asked them to give the government time to address their complaints.
Mr. Akomea urged the public sector workers not to go on strike.
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