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Ghanaian workers deserve better
By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor
Saturday, January 23, 2016
My good friends, I have been brooding over many issues,
especially the problems that caused the recent street
demonstration by organized labour and their withdrawal of
services just because they couldn't strike any deal with the
government regarding their conditions of service and many
others that negatively influence human existence in Ghana.
I have come to the conclusion that much of what precipitates
such an impasse has to do with the failure of the government
to level with workers and Ghanaians, generally, in terms of
reality. I am informed by the fact that organized labour
called off the strike action because their leaders had the
opportunity to see facts/figures/evidence from government to
justify the recent increases in tariffs for utility services
and petroleum.
If the government had all those facts/figures/evidence to
explain its actions, why won't it make them available to the
public to prevent all the fracas that has worsened its
credibility problem and set its opponents on a
destabilization spree? If those facts/figures/evidence are
authentic, why not put them in the public domain for
consumption so the government can have its peace of mind and
not be pushed to the wall as has been done all this while to
create a bad name for it?
Based on my assessment of issues, I have written an opinion
piece---which is really long---about labour demands but that
is relevant---to throw more light on the issue, as far as
partisan politicking is concerned. Please, bear with me as
you read the piece and comment on it.
Folks, we have been alarmed by the spate of industrial
actions by workers. We are free to interpret those actions
as we wish, considering the motivation for them, the forces
behind them, and the outcome. What happened on Wednesday
January 20, 2016, provides a good reason for analysis of the
situation in this election year. Clearly, there is a
worrisome disconnect to be wary of.
Ghanaian workers lay down their tools whenever prompted by
circumstances, not necessarily because they are unpatriotic
or because they want to sabotage the system. They do so
because they have to protect their interests, even while
circumscribing those interests within the ambit of the
national one.
It is commonplace for employees worldwide to lay down their
tools whenever they become disgruntled at existing
conditions of service. And they use that opportunity for
negotiation to improve their lot. Management may not like
the use of industrial action for that purpose but it can’t
abolish it either. Workers all over the world have the right
to withdraw their services in demand for better service
conditions. After all, why would they have “unions” to fight
for them and May Day institutionalized to uplift their
cause?
In Ghana, recourse to industrial action is perennial; it is
tantamount to a kind of “liberation struggle” by workers and
used as and when the need arises. It is preponderant,
especially if partisan political interests slip through. At
the same time, a misconceived and ill-implemented industrial
action can be damaging.
Within this context, anytime there is a threat of industrial
action, eyebrows get raised. In our time, industrial actions
have always been tied to the harsh realities of living
conditions, especially when the cost of basic necessities of
life rise astronomically without any corresponding rise in
wages and salaries. We have heard cries here and there in
the past few years to indicate that the going is tough for
Ghanaian workers despite measures such as the so-called
Single Spine Salary Structure that theoretically aimed at
improving the situation but that have ended up compounding
problems.
It’s all about the weak national economy which cannot
sustain any reasonably high salary regime. As to why, I
don’t know; but it is clear that a lot is happening to
worsen the economy that is not being addressed at the
workplace or government. When productivity falls, what do
you think will be reaped to give workers the respectable
wages and salaries to end all their agitations for improved
service conditions?
In this sense, then, the perennial head-butting by the
government and its employees will not end. Neither will it
be solved with mere posturing or muscle-flexing sessions. We
know what is at stake.
The truth, however, is that public sector workers are
grossly unhappy at their wages and salaries. So is it with
those in the private sector. But because unionization in the
public sector is more allowable than it is in the private
sector, the possibility of public sector workers withdrawing
their services in pursuit of their objectives is higher and
more rampant than it is for those in the private sector.
As such, industrial actions by “organized labour” (another
name for public sector workers, especially those subsisting
on the Consolidated Fund) are recognized as part of the
“human rights” phenomenon. There is more to it, though.
Over the past few months, a lot has happened to suggest that
the workers’ agitations have a lot to make us shudder. In
response to dire economic exigencies, the Mahama-led
administration has introduced measures that met immediate
stiff opposition from workers and the generality of the
Ghanaian populace. The prices of utility services, petroleum
products, etc. have been increased—and all hell has broken
loose.
Members of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) went on a
nationwide demonstration last Wednesday against the 59.2 per
cent and 67.2% increase in tariffs for electricity and
power, respectively, and are also demanding the scrapping of
the recently passed energy sector levy, which has resulted
in a 27% rise in petroleum prices.
The labour unions, led by the Trades Union Congress (TUC),
also want an immediate increase in wages. The leadership of
organized labour (numbering about 500,000) planned further
street actions, including a two-day nationwide strike that
would cripple government business. That move has been
curtailed because the government has called the workers’
leaders back to the negotiating table for further talks,
which the workers’ leaders have accepted.
As such, they have suspended their road map of industrial
actions to provide ample time for government to find an
amicable solution to their demands. (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Labour-suspends-planned-strike-409742)
Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu,
had told Joy News that new proposals to organized labour
would get them to back down on further industrial action.
And true to his word, the backing down has happened.
On the sideline, the Teachers and Educational Workers Union
(TEWU) has called off its strike following a meeting with
the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the association
of Vice Chancellors of Ghana. TEWU’s strike lasted for just
a week and members have resolved to go back to the
negotiation table with the Fair Wages and Salaries
Commission (FWSC).
The National Chairman of TEWU Peter Lumor confirmed the
group’s decision to go back to the lecture room. Members of
TEWU went on strike to demand the resolution of wide
inequalities between the salaries of Senior and junior
staff. The National Labour Commission (NLC) had declared the
strike illegal and threatened to withdraw the salaries of
TEWU members. (See
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/TEWU-suspends-strike-410138).
Meantime, partisan political interests have found their way
into the matter. For the government, such strike actions are
not only unproductive but they also undermine the spirit of
give-and-take. As already known, the government is adamant
that it cannot sit at the negotiation table with its
employees when they go on strike, meaning that it won’t bow
to pressure to operate from a position of disadvantage.
Of course, only the government knows the truth about the
country’s “purse” and should be given the benefit of the
doubt. It cannot give its employees what is not available;
neither would it want to bow to pressure to raise emoluments
that will endanger the national economy. But is it to be
taken for granted that the government is being honest and
truthful? In our kind of politics, we will always take
anything from the corridors of power with a pinch of salt.
Don’t blame us because we know how the tide flows.
We are particularly catty because we fear our politicians in
power, especially when we know how they manipulate the
situation to gain personal advantage at the expense of the
masses. By their deeds have we come to know them.
One significant element that we shouldn’t lose sight of is
the revelation by the leaders of organized labour
negotiating with government that they had to bend back
because after being shown figures/certain facts behind the
government’s decision to raise tariffs, they were persuaded
to see eye-to-eye with the government; hence, their
willingness to tone down on their stance.
We read that the figures/facts/evidence on the need to raise
the tariffs for the Electricity Company of Ghana (or any
other institution involved in the energy sector) to remain
afloat were doubtlessly strong to make the leaders of
organized labour buy into the government’s arguments; hence,
their softening of their stance. No more strike action
until…..
Many questions arise therefrom. What is sacrosanct about
those facts/figures/evidence on the energy situation that
the government won’t make available to the generality of
Ghanaians? Why keep it secret and release to only the
leaders of organized labour called to the negotiation table?
And what guarantee is there that those leaders are genuinely
selfless enough to accept those facts/figures/evidence as th
e truth inviolate that will work in the interest of those
they are leading?
Knowing very well who the Ghanaian placed in authority is, I
am not persuaded that all is well here. Has much water not
passed under the bridge already to make us doubt what we
have to doubt? Allegations are rife that workers’ leaders
often end up being bribed to budge at such negotiations.
It’s all about personal advantage, once given the power to
represent others. And these “others” have no way to reverse
what has been reached. The question, then, is what will
happen next? Are workers to be kept on tenterhooks while
their leaders hob-nob with government in circumstances that
don’t assuage doubts, suspicions, and apprehensions? Who is
gaining from this situation?
Now, to the real substance about partisan politics and how
some unscrupulous elements may want to manipulate the
situation. We know that whenever there is any agitation t
the workers’ front, there is always a hidden political hand
behind everything. The history of industrial actions by
Ghana’s organized labour has a lot to offer us. From the
First Republic to the current one, not to talk about the
period of the military governments, labour agitations have
always been poisoned by the partisan political dose.
Nkrumah used the TUC (leaders) to advantage. If you doubt
it, read about the role of John Tettegah. Under Busia, the
TUC had it tough. So was it with Rawlings until he turned
civilian and learnt how to do things with civility at the
labour front. His successors also did their best to walk the
tightrope with leaders of organized labour until now that
John Mahama seems to be incurring their displeasure. But
there is more to it.
We won’t bore you any further with anything preceding this
Fourth Republic and will settle on what has come from the
NPP’s front about the current situation. As has been
reported, Nana Akomea (NPP’s Communication Director) has
described the stance of leaders of the Trades Union Congress
(TUC)—who are demanding that tariffs should not be increased
beyond 50 per cent across the board—as too lenient. He
argued that any increase in utility tariffs and fuel prices
should be proportional to the percentage increase in
salaries received by public sector workers.
“They should be asking for increases [in tariffs] of not
more than 17 per cent to be in line with inflation and the
10 per cent increment [in salary]. Ghanaian workers have
every right to protest, and the TUC has been generous. (See
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Tariff-hikes-Labour-being-too-lenient-410125)
Folks, do you see where the NPP people want to move this
issue? Meantime, they have forgotten that under Kufuor,
workers went on strike in pursuit of similar demands. What,
then, is new in this latest development, except that some
hidden hands are desperately pushing buttons to cause
mischief?
I am happy that the workers’ leaders have seen reason and
are backing down on their stance while waiting for the
government to act responsibly. Their stance is informed by
the facts/figures/evidence provided by the government to
help them see the light. Why is it difficult for the
government to release those same fcts/figures/evidence to
the general public so they can also make informed judgement
about the situation regarding the tariff hikes?
By not opening everything up, the government has failed. It
is disheartening!! An informed citizenry will be better
positioned to sympathize with the government than make
themselves available for the opposition to deceive,
manipulate, and use for negative politicking. Who in
government is really responsible anymore?
I shall return…
• E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com
• Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor
to continue the conversation.
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