The Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) says it will resist any attempt by the government through an International Monetary Fund (IMF) sponsored program to impose restrictions on sectors of the economy that will cause hardship to workers.
Dr Yaw Baah, General Secretary of the Congress, said: “The TUC will lead the working people of Ghana to resist any attempt to impose hardship on workers and their families and the population at large.
Addressing a press conference on “Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) and the National Economic Situation”, he said the IMF sponsored programs and policies were completely detached from reality and would only cause hardship to Ghanaians.
The Secretary-General said they were reminding the government that in basic wage negotiations in 2021 and 2022, they agreed to pay increases of four percent and seven percent, respectively, on the condition that the government does not announce layoffs.
"And this government will continue to employ young people into public service," he said.
Dr Baah said they kicked 17 times against the government that went to the IMF for help because they mentioned that one of the major challenges in managing the economy has to do with corruption.
He said others were the failure of successive governments to transform the structure of the economy to enable Ghanaians to "produce what we eat and eat what we produce".
Organized Labour, led by the TUC, has reached an agreement with the Government on a 15% CoLA for all workers under the Single Spinal Pay Structure (SSSS), effective from 1 July 2022.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yaw Baah, said the struggle for a good standard of living is not over as the cost of living crisis is not over as inflation has reached 29.8 percent and shows no signs of abating anytime soon.
He said that young people who are being educated at great cost to their parents and the nation are struggling to get jobs that match their level of education and skills.
"The national economic outlook remains bleak, and we are basking in the glory of not only providing a lifeline for struggling workers, but also averting a potential workplace disaster," he said.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0