Some have secured ill-gotten money in foreign accounts and want to play “ajana one, ajana two” with pension of the poor – Gyampo

Prof. Ransford Gyampo

Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has stressed that labour unions will resist all attempts by government to touch the pensions of people in its debt exchange programme.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) at a press conference on Monday, December 12, urged government to exempt its members’ pension funds from the debt exchange programme.

Addressing the press, TUC their General Secretary, Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah said the programme will negatively affect the security of their retirement income.

“We have analysed the debt exchange programme and after a thorough analysis of the programme and a very extensive discussion among the leadership of TUC and affiliates, our conclusion is very firm. And it is that the programme will negatively affect the pension funds of our members and consequently their retirement income security.

“Already, pension is low and we would have thought that our government will do everything to protect the small pension we have. Instead, they are introducing programme inspired by the International Monetary Fund to cut further pension income. Therefore, the Trades Union Congress and all its affiliates have decided that the pension funds of our members will not be part of the domestic debt exchange programme,” Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah said.

Adding to the rejection from labour unions, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has said they will fight to the end to protect the pension of the poor.

According to him, there will be continued resistance to ensure people who have secured ill-gotten wealth in foreign bank accounts do not get their way by making the poor poorer through the debt exchange programme.

“Some have comfortably secured their wealth and ill-gotten moneys in foreign bank accounts and want to play “ajana one, ajana two” with the legitimate toil and pension of poor people. Labor is united in this fight to defend public soul,” Prof. Gyampo who is UTAG-UG General Secretary said in a post on Facebook.