Labour Warns Of Thinning Patience

Ghanaian workers on Friday chose the celebration of Labour Day to serve government a notice that their patience over outstanding salary issues is thinning very fast. Mr. Kofi Asamoah, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress of Ghana, (TUC), said a large majority of Ghanaian workers, including those employed in the formal economy receive take home pay that does not take them home or assure anyone of a decent living standard.

Workers were therefore very disappointed when the government suspended the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Pay Structure to address the issues of low wages and inequalities in public service.

Mr. Asamoah was addressing a parade of Ghanaian workers at the Independence Square in Accra to mark Workers' Day under the theme; Improved standard of living through decent work, a pre-requisite for sustaining democratic governance.

In attendance also were President J.E.A. Mills, his vice John Dramani Mahama and several ministers of state and the leadership of organized labour.

Describing the recent increase in the minimum wage as largely nominal and of ‘no real gain’, given the prevailing rate of depreciation of the cedi against the other trading currencies, and inflation, Mr. Asamoah said Ghanaian workers this year are likely to experience a significant fall in real wages, which will also have serious implications for the decent work agenda and poverty reduction.

He warned that “The principle of equal pay for equal work has not been fully integrated into the reward system of both public and private sectors of the economy. We are therefore appealing to government to expedite action on the implementation of the single spine pay structure… After waiting for so long the patience of public sector workers is almost exhausted and we think that government should take a very serious note of that”.

He said the recent payment of ex-gratia to some public servants typified the yawning discrimination and inequality within the public sector, questioning “Why and why should some public officials be paid fat ex-gratia awards while others are denied End of Service Benefits? What is good for the goose is equally good for the gander. We therefore call for the restoration of ESB for all workers.”
 

Noting the presence of President Mills and Vice President John Mahama and ministers of state as an ample proof of government’s recognition of the strategic role of workers in the socio-political development of Ghana, Mr. Asamoah commended Ghanaian workers for their endurance and spirit of sacrifice.

He expressed the hope that under the National Democratic Congress government, employers and all other stakeholders in the world of work would give serious consideration to labour issues considered under the theme of the celebration.

Decent Work Agenda
According to Mr. Asamoah, it is unacceptable that after over 50 years of independence, Ghanaian workers do not enjoy positive ratings in the areas of Employment, Workers’ Rights, Social Protection and Social Dialogue, the four main objectives of the Decent Work Agenda.

“It is unacceptable that for over 50 years after Ghana’s independence the working people of Ghana do not enjoy reasonable ratings in many of these important social indicators. The huge decent work deficit in Ghana is not good for our democracy, but democratic governance cannot be sustained in a situation where large sections of the population live in poverty. If democracy fails to deliver decent work and improve living standards, the people can easily lose confidence in the political system,” he stressed.

Mr. Asamoah urged government to translate democracy and good governance into benefits and real improvement in the standard of living of the people and also asked the government to take the necessary steps to facilitate the creation of decent jobs especially for the youth.

The TUC also asked government to take ‘a second and a hard look’ at the Interim Economic Partnership Agreements, otherwise referred to as EPA-light, and the EPA itself because they have serious implication for the creation of creative employment for Ghanaians.

He advised that the EPA will not only undermine the creation of decent jobs in the domestic economy, it will also subvert efforts towards regional integration

Source:  JFM/Peacefmonline.com