We’ll resist gov’t’s attempts to deny workers’ benefits – TUC

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) plans to resist any attempts by government to deny workers their benefits and remuneration.

The Deputy Secretary General of the Congress, Joshua Ansah, charged government to provide needed support and logistics required to make them efficient.

“…Management should not wait for us to even come and ask if we are really the engine of growth as workers. We should be treated fairly.,

Various labour unions have over the years embarked on a series of demonstration to register their displeasure over poor conditions of service,” Mr. Ansah said.

In 2014, eight labour unions served notice they would embark on an indefinite strike to protest government's failure to pay public service workers their tier two pension funds into a private account.

The unions have also decided to lay down their tools.

The eight unions were made up of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Public and Health Service Workers Union and the Ghana Registered Nurses Association.

The rest were the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association, Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG).

They accused government of unduly delaying the payment of their tier two pension funds being held by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority in the last three years.

In that same year [2014], Organised Labour made similar calls for the payment of their outstanding pension funds.

They threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if government failed to take measures to address their grievances.

“We wish to state that if by July 14, directives have not been issued for the transfer of funds to various public sector schemes, we will advise ourselves,” said Mr Awotwi Nkansah, Deputy Executive Secretary of GNAT in charge of Labour .

Times are tough, we've no money – Nana Addo
In the wake of protests and threats of strikes from a number of labour unions a few months ago, President Nana Addo told many agitating worker unions in the country that government is cash-strapped.

“There are some things that should be easy to deal with but will prove difficult for some time to come largely because there is no money. But now arrangements are being put place that will enhance the generation by the state.”

“The economic situation my government and I inherited was not the best; both in terms of the growth of our economy and the balances available in the public treasury. Many of the problems you are putting here are the results of a poor office treasury,” the President explained.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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