Manage current economic hardship as gov’t comes to support …Henry Quartey urges workers

Mr Henry Quartey (middle) with the award winners

The Greater Accra Regional Min­ister, Mr Henry Quartey, at this year’s May Day called workers, stakeholders to manage the current economic situation as the government was poised to make life better for the people of this nation.

“Even though Workers are among the lowest paid wage earners in the continent, they should avoid specu­lations that the government wants to touch workers’ pension” he added.

In a speech read by Freda Frim­pong, the Regional Secretary of Trade Union Congress, on behalf the Gen­eral Secretary of the Labour Union Dr Anthony Yaw Buah urged government to review the Single Spine Pay Policy because workers were receiving lowest salaries in the public sector even though they were providing all the essential services to the people of Ghana.

The TUC stressed the urgency in completing the review of national laws to protect jobs and income.

She expressed concern that many workers were losing their jobs because “employers are abusing their right to hire and fire workers, others are also taking advantage of weak­ness in the labour law and replacing permanent employment contracts with fixed- term contracts”.

“We will no longer accept a situ­ation where Article 71 office holders are awarded huge pay increases with fat allowances while some workers on the Single Spine Salary Structure continue to receive less than Gh 600 per month” she lamented.

The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of Trade Union Congress appealed to government to pro­tect their pension funds from the Domestic exchange programme and also consider establishing one strong institution to manage the second-tier schemes.

As part of the celebration 19 workers from the various labour unions in Accra and Tema were honoured with citations for their distinguish services.

The workers, who sat in the various stands designated for them, could not hold back their joy and excitement as they sang popular “Jama” tunes.

Some inscriptions on the placards were ; “we need decent jobs”, “un­employed youth is a security threat”, “PBC needs urgent help”, “we need money”.

The rest are support “agricultur­al challenge”, “Do not mess with the union”, “galamsey is a threat to GWCL”.

Meanwhile the National May Day Parade was held in the Upper East Region and was chaired by the pres­ident of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo -Addo.

By Linda Abrefi Wadie