Public Services Workers Union to strike July 19 over COLA

EducationGhana| July 12| Public Services Workers Union to strike July 19 over COLA:

Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) of Trade Union Congress TUC Ghana has declared an indefinite nationwide strike effective 19th July 2022.

According to the Union, inflation continues to rise with official figures for May 2022 at 27.60%, an 18-year high. This has led to frequent price increases and constant erosion of the real value of the relatively low wages of public sector workers

The Union said this condition informed Organized Labour, led by the TUC (Ghana) at the 2022 May Day Parade to entreat the President of Ghana to approve the payment of Cost-of-Living Allowance (CoLA) to cushion workers, followed by a written request on the 24th June 2022, albeit, without a response.

Public Services Workers Union explained that, it could also be recalled, that as patriotic citizens and social partners in the development of Mother Ghana, organized Labour groups, including the PSWU took the hard decision, to the chagrin of members, to accept a 4% and 7% salary increment respectively for 2021 and 2022.

“However, considering unfolding events such as relatively high salary increases for ‘Article 71’ and, related office holders and Government expenditure patterns, we are worried that the sacrifices made by Organized Labour during the last negotiations has been taken for granted.”

In a statement issued by Bernard Adjei General Secretary of PSWU, this situation is further worsened by the refusal of the Government to grant a mandate for the negotiation of institution-specific conditions of service for a number of organizations under the Single Spine, and sometimes its resort to delaying tactics during negotiations.

The over 27,000 workers within the over 65 public sector institutions that make up the PSWU feel the economic crunch in their pockets, with each passing day resulting in uncertainties of meeting basic needs.

Obviously, a possible return to the IMF further complicates the economic uncertainties faced by public sector workers and flashes back memories of harsh labour policies that disadvantage the ordinary worker.

Noticeably, a decision to enter into an IMF programme risk a return to a harsh industrial atmosphere rife with conditionalities such as the sale of critical and well-performing national assets, redundancies, freeze on employment and freeze in wages (an intention denied by His Excellency the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his Remarks at
the 11th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the TUC (Ghana) in Kumasi on 23rd, March 2021).

Further, for a number of workers who retired under the National Pensions (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act 883) which came into full force on 1st January 2020, the disparity in their lump sum payments as compared to those who retired under PNDCL 247 have not been resolved.

This has led to the already vulnerable members of our society, the aged, going through further economic hardships despite the firm assurances of the President to resolve this matter as far back as 13th October 2020 in the heat of the
Elections Campaign.

Consequently, at an Emergency Meeting of the Management Committee and representatives from the over 65 institutions that make up the PSWU, our members were left with no choice but to embark on a Strike effective Tues. 19th July 2022 until our concerns are addressed.

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SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh