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Labour front heats up with strikes …as workers demand COLA from govt
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Industrial action by workers or strike is a temporary show of dissatisfaction by employees to protest against bad working conditions or low pay and also to increase bargaining power with the employer to improve salary and other emoluments of workers. This may take place in the context of a labour dispute or may be meant to effect political or social change. This form of communication tends to be the only means for workers to voice their concerns after unsuccessful agitations for better conditions of service.
LABOUR FRONT HIT BY STRIKES
In recent times, the country’s labour front has been hit by a lot of strikes as some of the organised workers’ unions have either embarked on strike action or threaten to lay down their tools in demand for what they termed, ‘Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)’ in view of the current economic hardships in the country that has forced the government to go for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The present financial situation of the country is so precarious that the government is finding it very difficult to yield to some of these labour agitations and demands for better conditions of service, hence these unstable situations and threat of strike to drum home the concerns of workers in the formal sector of the economy.
Just recently, July 4, 2022, four teachers’ unions in the country, declared a nationwide strike over government’s failure to meet the June 30, 2022 deadline they gave it for the payment of their Cost of Living Allowance. The Unions are, The Ghana National Association of teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).
FOUR TEACHER UNIONS DEMAND COLA
According to a statement read by the General Secretary of GNAT, they had been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians their intention to go on strike, having gone passed the June 30, 2022 deadline they gave to government for the payment of the COLA. Consequently, they had decided to embark on the strike with retrospective effect from July 4, 2022. He said; “By this, we are informing the general public that, we are withdrawing services in all the pre-tertiary education institutions. This includes teaching and non-teaching staff.”
He said the teacher groups were disappointed at the government’s failure to heed their calls, hence the strike action. The teachers are fighting for the payment of between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of their salaries as COLA. Their demands are coming at the time when the government appeared to be constraint with weight of an increasingly tighter economic environment that has compelled the country to seek an assistance from the IMF to restructure the economy.
PROFESSIONAL NURSES AND MIDWIVES JOIN THE FRAY
While the teachers’ agitations remain unsolved, the leadership of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG) has threatened the government to pay all public sector members of the union COLA to avert further industrial action. According to the union, “it is surprised at the laxity with which the welfare of nurses and midwives have been bundled within these hard economic times and wants the government to intervene by paying its members COLA as it was done in 2014 in a similar economic situation.” The union stated in a press release issued recently that it expected nothing short of similar stopgap measure to cushion the many nurses and midwives in the country.
These threats have assumed a wider dimension in most recent past with another call from the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to government to pay doctors the necessary COLA to cushion them in view of the present economic difficulties. Hear the General Secretary of the GMA, Dr. Titus Beyuo; “Doctors, like other members of organised labour, have equally been hit by the current economic hardships. The GMA is part of the bigger group called the FORUM which has also called for the COLA. We are singing the same song and we have wished that government would have started with us much earlier to negotiate and discuss this matter.”
DOCTORS SOUND THE ALARM BELL
Highlighting the plight of doctors, Dr. Beyuo said “doctors were struggling we are buying from the same market, we are buying the same fuel, we don’t get fuel coupons and doctors have parked their cars and are now getting on board trotro, because they can no longer afford fuel.”
It appears that these strikes are going to continue unabated for some time, unless the government finds ways and means within the current economic struggles to address the concerns of workers across board. Any piecemeal approach to these agitations by the various unions will bring in its wake massive strikes from other labour unions which the government will find it difficult to contain.
NEGATIVE REMARKS FROM MINISTERS ABOUT THE STRIKES
The negative and provocative remarks from some government officials including ministers of state concerning these strikes by the labour unions if not checked, will infuriate the striking workers and affect any efforts by the government to negotiate meaningfully with the various unions on the way forward in order to find lasting solutions to the impasse. For now, the government needs to be tactful and meticulous in handling this matter and refrain from the unfavourable comments on the issue by some ministers and other political communicators.
We are indeed in terrible times and our financial situation is so bad and precarious that, we have to run to the IMF for a necessary bailout to our economic woes and challenges. Just as most of our economic and financial think tanks have alluded, going to the IMF for financial bailout is not a panacea to our problems, however, we don’t have any option than to access the facility. According to the financial analysts and economists, we are bound to face austere situation as there will be harsh conditions attached to the IMF facility. All the same, Ghanaians ought to brace themselves to face the challenges and the emerging consequences squarely.These labour agitations will eventually, heighten the current economic situation and put more pressure on government.
REDUCING THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT
The call by Ghanaians to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to take a second look at the large number of his ministers and other appointees in government i.e. presidential staffers and reduce the number so as to cut down expenditure, might be in the right direction and needs to be given a serious thought and consideration. At the least, the reshuffling of the ministers is necessary at this material time to save the needed revenue to take care of our striking teachers, nurses and doctors who are doing a yeoman’s job to our dear nation.
These frequent strikes by the various labour unions have reminded me of ‘Things Fall Apart’, the debut novel by the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe which was first published in 1958. Indeed, things are fallen apart in our dear and beautiful country called Ghana and it appears that the centre cannot hold.
NATIONWIDE STRIKE IN THE OFFING
Government needs to handle these threats of strike by the labour unions maturely, otherwise when they get out of hand, we will be in a serious crisis. Indications are that these strikes will soon assume a wider dimension as the mother union- the Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU) has set aside next Tuesday, July 19, 2022 for a nationwide industrial action to press home their demand for the payment of COLA to all members. Imagine doctors, nurses, mortuary attendants and other utility providers such as Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company embarking on total strike, what will be the fate of this country? A word to a wise is enough!
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By Charles Neequaye
There is a culture that permeates all aspects of leadership in the advanced countries which I believe has contributed to the success in all aspects of their national lives. Citizens strive to excel so that they will not find themselves in a situation where they would have failed, to necessitate a decision to resign.
Countries where failure is frowned upon, it pushes the citizens to strive for success. In our part of the world, failure and mediocrity has become an accepted norm and therefore, there is no shame in failing in a particular position of leadership.
A head of an organisation mismanages the place and he does not see the need for him to resign. The appointing authority does not also see the need to sack him and so the merry go round continues.
It becomes friends and family as usual and if care is not taken, the rest of the world will leave us far, far behind.
The practice of resignation in parts of the world for failure in some parts of the world has to be institutionalised in our country too. It encourages the principle of accountability which is good for any organisation, sector of an economy or a country.
It promotes good governance, a necessary ingredient in the growth of the economy of any country.
When this practice becomes a culture, every individual, privileged to hold a position of trust, gives his or her full attention to the job assigned him or her, to ensure that objectives are achieved.
This trickles down to every individual down the chain of command and there are no rooms for errors.
That is how efficient systems are built over time and this is the difference between advanced nations and third world countries.
Where systems are designed such that people take responsibility for things that go wrong under their supervision or ultimate responsibility, there is evidence of development.
There are a few people that I admire in Ghana as far as this culture of resignation based on principled stance. One of them is the late Mrs Emma Mitchell. She was a cabinet member but chose to resign after the confrontation between late President Jerry Rawlings and late Vice President Kow Akaah.
She was not prepared to be part of a cabinet which was lying to the general public that Rawlings did not assault Akaah.
She was of the conviction that telling the truth is more honourable than telling lies and that if she was bound by confidentiality oaths to tell a lie, then she would resign and she did exactly that.
That is how we build a culture of truth and accountability. We have people in positions who have not lived up to expectation but are still holding on to their positions not prepared to let go of it.
This is a clear case of display of selfishness, trying to be a Boss instead of a Servant to serve the people, which leadership is all about.
The ineffectiveness of some leaders, often result in waste of resources which could have been channeled to other sectors of the economy which could have been more productive. A culture of voluntary resignation must be advocated for by all stakeholders, especially the CSOs, traditional leaders and the clergy.
This is the only way the needed growth in every sector of our national life would manifest.
Presidents, Prime Ministers, heads of reputable organisations have voluntarily resigned by taking ultimate responsibility and it is about time, we started seeing it manifest in our country.
The people in charge of our sports especially our soccer, can initiate this long desired culture and resign in view of the embarrassment witnessed from the defeat of the Black Stars by Gambia. God bless.
BY LAUD KISS-MENSAH
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THE QUR’AN FORBIDS RELIGIOUS PROVOCATION
There is a remarkable verse in the Qur’an which every Muslim preacher should memorise.
Allah says:
“And do not insult those they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in hostility without knowledge.” (Qur’an 6:108).
Think about this carefully.
Allah knows that the unbelievers worship false gods.
Yet Allah tells Muslims: Do not insult their objects of worship.
Why?
Because your speech may provoke an even greater offence.
This establishes a profound principle:
A Muslim must not fight religious provocation with religious provocation.
If someone insults what we hold sacred, we do not respond by insulting what they hold sacred.
If someone attacks Islam, we defend Islam with knowledge.
If someone misrepresents Muhammad (pbuh), we explain who is Muhammad to him.
If someone lies about Islam, we answer with truth and knowledge.
We do not allow another person’s bad behaviour to dictate our own morality.
LOOK AT MUHAMMAD (PBUH) — HE WAS INSULTED BEFORE WE WERE
Servant of Allah,
Sometimes we speak as though the Prophet (pbuh) lived in a world where everyone respected him.
No.
He was mocked and insulted. Quran 37:36, Quran 15:6
He was called a liar, magician, and a mad man. Quran 51:52, Quran 17:47
He was ridiculed. Quran 6:10
His followers were tortured, and some were killed. Quran 85:8-10
He himself was persecuted, leading to his migration to Madina.
Yet he remained the Messenger of Allah.
Allah said:
“Indeed, we know that your heart is distressed by what they say.” (Qur’an 15:97)
Allah acknowledged the Prophet’s pain.
Islam does not say that insults do not hurt. They hurt.
But the question is: What do you do with the pain?
THE DAY OF TA’IF: WHEN THE PROPHET (PBUH) COULD HAVE CHOSEN
REVENGE
One of the most powerful examples is the journey of the Prophet (pbuh) to Ta’if.
He went seeking support for his message.
Instead, the people rejected him and incited their children and others against him.
He was chased.
He was insulted.
He was struck with stones until his feet bled.
He was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Then the Angel of the Mountains came to him.
The two angels offered to crush the people of Ta’if between the mountains.
The Prophet (pbuh) could have said: “Do it.”
But he did not.
Instead, he hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Him.
This account is recorded in the authentic hadith literature, including Sahih Muslim (Muslim, 1795).
What a lesson!
The Prophet (pbuh) had suffered injustice.
But he did not turn his pain into indiscriminate revenge.
He saw beyond the offender.
He saw the possibility of tomorrow.
And this is one of the greatest characteristics of prophetic leadership:
The Prophet (pbuh) did not merely ask, “What punishment does this person deserve?”
He also asked, in effect: “What can this person become?”
THE PROPHET IN MADINAH: LEADER OF A DIVERSE SOCIETY
When Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Madinah, he did not enter an empty city.
Madinah contained different communities, including Muslims and Jews, and there were also Christians who interacted with the Muslim community.
The Prophet became the political and communal leader of Madinah.
The Sahifah (A Covenant) of Madinah, preserved in the early sīrah (Prophet’s biography) tradition, established arrangements concerning mutual obligations, security, justice and relations among the communities of the city.
This is important:
The Prophet did not build Madinah by teaching Muslims to hate everyone who was not Muslim.
He built a society governed by covenant, responsibility and justice.
Allah says:
“Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who have neither fought you because of your religion nor driven you from your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Qur’an 60:8)
This is not weakness.
This is Islam.
THE PROPHET DEALT WITH JEWS IN MADINAH
‘A’ishah (Wife of the Prophet) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) bought food from a Jewish man on credit and gave him his iron armour as collateral.
“The Prophet purchased food from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armour to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2068)
Think about it.
This was Muhammad.
The Messenger of Allah.
Yet he conducted lawful commercial dealings with a Jewish citizen.
He did not say: “He is not a Muslim, therefore I cannot deal with him.”
No.
Islam gave him a relationship governed by justice and trust.
Jabir رضيهللاعنه narrated:
“A funeral procession passed before us and the Prophet (pbuh) stood up, and we stood with him. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is the funeral of a Jew.’ He said: ‘When you see a funeral procession, stand.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1311)
Another narration records his response: “Is it not a soul?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1312–1313)
What kind of heart did Muhammad (pbuh) possess?
A heart that recognised human dignity even in death.
THE PROPHET AND THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN
The Prophet also received the Christian delegation of Najran.
They disagreed with him theologically.
Yet when they requested a trustworthy person, he did not choose someone because of hatred.
He selected Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.
The Prophet said:
“I shall send with you a man who is truly trustworthy.”
He then appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah.
This is authentically reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 4380–4381.
Notice something profound:
The Prophet could disagree with people without becoming dishonest toward them.
That is the standard we need today.
The author is the chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert.
