Labour's Tier 2 strike; Court decides on Dec. 16

The quest for a second strike action by public service workers over the management of their Tier 2 Pension Scheme would have to wait a little longer.

A labour court in Accra today deferred ruling over whether the eight unions can resume their strike.

Government filed a case in court asking for a ruling to be made on who the rightful trustee of workers pension funds is. Government also wants the court to prevent the labour unions who withdrew their services earlier this month from doing so again.

The workers had called off the two-week-old strike after being served with an ex-parte order secured by the government. The workers however said their suspension would only last for one week if government fails to meet their demands.

Their demands were yet to be met after three weeks since the strike was suspended. But the workers are in no position to withdraw their services again unless the court says so.

Joy News' Kwakye Afreh Nuamah who was monitoring court proceedings said the court has set December 16 to decide on whether the workers can go on another strike. The issue of who has the right to manage the Tier 2 did not come up in court today, he reported.

Government represented by Deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine had argued that the law does not support workers to handle the second tier.

He maintained that the strike will affect public safety, and prayed that the public interest is taken into consideration when the idea of strike comes to mind.

For instance, students who go to school without teachers in classroom to teach them would have their future jeopardized, he said.

But counsel for the workers, Godfred Odame countered that claim, saying strike by any sector or organisaton will definitely have an impact on something.

That notwithstanding, workers have a right to strike, he said, arguing that the right flows naturally from their freedom of association as guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com| Isaac Essel | [email protected] | twitter @isaacessel