Public Sector Workers Union Declares Industrial Action

An Emergency Meeting of the Management Committee and representatives from the over 65 institutions that make up the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has birthed an industrial action slated for July 19, 2022, across the country.

The decision to resort to strike, the union said, is a result of the government’s failure to respond to its demand for the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

“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 on24th June 2022, albeit, without a response”.

The union seems alarmed by the government’s “unwillingness” to pay the COLA at this time despite the organised Labour group’s, (including the PSWU) compromise for a 4%o and 7% of salary increment respectively for 2021 and 2022.

It added that “Considering unfolding events such as relatively high salary increases for ‘Article 77’ and related office holders and Government expenditure patterns, we are worried that the sacrifices made by Organised Labour during the last negotiations have been taken for granted.”

PSWD also fears that the government’s decision to undertake an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme will further put more strain on the meagre salary of its members.

The group wants the salary disparity between the Article 77 Office holders and its members resolved.

It also wants the disparity between the lump sum payments of a number of workers who retired under the National Pensions (Amendment) Act,2014 (Act 883) and those who retired under PNDCL 247 resolved.

If the government fails to deliver on these demands, the PSWD says its over 27,000 workers within the over 65 public sector institutions will lay down their tools on July 19, 2022.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini