We will embark on a type of industrial action never seen before in this country – TUC warns government to consider workers interests
As the commemoration of Mayday approaches, leadership of organized labour has served a word of caution that Ghanaian workers are demoralized and not enthused about their conditions of service more than ever.
On Thursday 28 April 2022, a member of the 2022 May Day Publicity Committee for organized labour, Christian Yaw Adinkra revealed that “Labour is angry now more than ever. If the huge salary disparities between CEOs of State-Owned Enterprises, Political Appointees and ordinary Ghanaian workers are not addressed, then there will be dire consequences for the state. It seems labour welfare does not concern the manager of the economy”
Initially, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) had warned that they will embark on a strike action that has never happened before in the history of Ghana if the Government does not offer at least a 20% salary increase to government employees, and ensure conducive working conditions for Ghanaian workers.
The District Chairman for the Madina Adenta Abokobi GNAT District and 2022 May Day Publicity Committee Member for Organized Labour, Yaw Adinkra further revealed that public sector workers are paid an average of GHS1800 and about 50 % earn below GHS 1200 per month on the public wage bill.
“If the welfare of the worker turns to warfare, productivity dwindles and the state suffers” Mr Adinkra advised the government.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has also added that the government must increase the salaries of workers to meet the rising rate of inflation. Dr Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of TUC explained that traders and employers mostly increase their goods and services whenever the inflation rate also increases, therefore, they do not feel the brunt of the hardships.
To that end, he said salaries of workers must also go up anytime inflation increases.
Delivering a speech at a forum in Accra on Thursday, April 21, he said “Employers should index our pay to the inflation because the employers change the prices of their goods so the inflation rate does not affect them the way it is affecting us therefore, we should get our salaries indexed.
“Don’t let us rely too much on the government and employers. Let us ask the question, what can we do for ourselves as workers and unions? We will negotiate effectively this year and that one, I want to assure you that I will lead that negotiation.
“We will continue to talk, we will continue to negotiate but if the dialogue fails we are going to embark on an industrial action that has never happened in this country before.”
The Ghana Statistical Service, (GSS) announced that Inflation rate for March 2022 was 19.4%,
This means that in March 2022 the general price level was 19.4% higher than in March 2021, the Government Statistician Professor Samuel Annim said at a press conference in Accra.
“Year-on-Year change in food inflation (five percentage points) between February 2022 and March 2022 is twice non-food inflation 2.5 percentage points),” he said adding that “Year-on-Year change in food inflation is almost twice the 12-month rolling average from April 2021 to March 2022.”
Across the 13 divisions, the rank of the top three changed in March 2022.
The rate of inflation for Transport (26.6%) surpasses both Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (22.4%) and Housing, Water, Electricity and Gas (21.4%).
All three record inflation rates higher than the national average (19.4%).
Inflation rates for four divisions in March 2022 [Household equipment and maintenance (18.5% vs. 8.5%) Recreation, Sports and Culture (17.0% vs. 8.4%), Personal Care and Miscellaneous Goods (17.0% vs. 8.5%) and Education Services (2.9% vs. 1.1%) are at least twice the rates for the rolling average from April 2021 to March 2022.
