Labour gives government one-week ultimatum for negotiations

Accra, June 19, GNA - Organized labour on Friday warned that if by Friday, June 26, nothing concrete is heard from government on salaries for public sector employees for 2009, “leadership of organised labour cannot take responsibility for any industrial unrest”.

In a statement signed by the leaders of the various unions, they expressed displeasure and disappointment at the attitude of the government towards the determination and payment of Public Sector Salaries for 2009.

The representatives recalled that a communiqué issued after a three-day stakeholders' meeting on Single Spine Pay Policy at GIMPA, from May 27-29, stated that pending the implementation of the Single Spine pay policy, salary negotiations for 2009 for public sector workers would commence from June 21.

On June 5, organised labour submitted its proposals to government and government responded by inviting them for a negotiation meeting on Friday, June 19.

However, organised labour said at the meeting that it was informed by the government negotiation team that consultations on the mandate had not yet been concluded hence the meeting had to be rescheduled.

It was therefore serving notice about the one-week deadline for “concrete” action by government.

GNA