Pension Controversy: Striking workers agree to negotiate with gov't

Striking public workers have agreed to return to the negotiation table despite a suit filed by government.

Negotiations between the two- striking workers and government- to end a six day old strike stalled, Tuesday, with the workers angry over government's decision to send them to court.

The workers say government cannot send them to court and to the National Labour Commission while still inviting them for negotiations.

They ended Tuesday's meeting inconclusively with the hope of soliciting legal advice from their lawyers.

The workers wanted to find out from their lawyers if it was possible to still negotiate with government whilst the writ was still pending.

After that Joy News can confirm that the workers have agreed to return to the negotiation table.

The decision to return, according to Joy News' Fred Smith, coincided with government's decision to withdraw complaints filed at the Labour Commission.

Hopefully on Thursday the two groups would once again try to find a solution to a strike that has left students stranded and patients doomed.

Both teachers and health workers are part of the 12 labour unions that have gone on strike in protest over what they say is government's poor handling of the tier two pension scheme.

The workers are asking government to relinquish the management of the tier two pension scheme to the various labour unions- something government is not ready to do.

They are also asking government to make public how much has accrued to the tier two pension scheme and the interest involved.

Government is yet to make that public even though the sector Minister Haruna Iddrisu has promised that the Bank of Ghana as well as the National Pensions Regulations Authority will provide full disclosure on the amount accrued to the tier two pension scheme later this week.