Features
Labour front heats up with strikes …as workers demand COLA from govt
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
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you are trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved. Last week we looked at three and this week is the remaining four steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
4. Find common ground
The best way to handle workplace conflict is to start with what you can agree on. Find common ground between the people engaging in conflict. If you are directly involved in the conflict, slow down and focus on results instead of who’s right.
If you are the mediator for conflict resolution between coworkers, observe the discussion and help point out the common ground others may not see.
5. Collectively brainstorm solutions
When deciding how to handle workplace conflict, it can be tempting to problem-solve on your own. Sometimes, it feels easier to work independently rather than collaboratively. However, if you want to achieve a lasting resolution, you will need to motivate your team to get involved.
Brainstorm possible solutions together, and solicit input from everyone involved on the pros and cons of each option until you settle on a solution that feels comfortable to everyone. This will help all team members feel a sense of ownership that can help prevent future conflicts.
6. Create an action plan
Once you have created an open dialogue around workplace conflicts, it is time to resolve them. Just like any other work goal, this requires creating a concrete plan and following through.
Create an action plan and then act on it. It does not matter what the plan is, as long as you commit to it and resolve the conflict as a result.
7. Reflect on what you learned
All conflicts offer an opportunity to grow and become a better communicator. Identify what went well and what did not.
Work with your whole team to gather learnings from the conflict so you can avoid similar situations in the future.
Today, I continue with my narration of personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, with a focus on Mr Joseph Osei Amoah.
Mr Amoah is one of the senior members of the Ghanaian community in Finland and a top member of the Ghana Union Finland, an association of the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
He is an active and a well-respected person in the Ghanaian community in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah moved to Finland in the mid-1990s, and he has lived in Helsinki all this time.
Accomplishments and honours
It is important to recount accomplishments as part of the success stories of the personalities of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.
Mr Amoah holds a Master’s degree in Demography from the University of Helsinki. At the time he came to Finland in 1994, he had majored in Economics at the Bachelor’s level at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Sometimes affectionately called “Chairman” in the Ghanaian migrant community, Mr Osei is a former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) branch in Finland, assuming office around 2015, a few months after the branch was formed, until 2019 when he did not run again for the elections. He helped to bring vibrancy into the NPP Finland branch.
Religious life
Mr Amoah is a prominent member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland. In spite of his busy working life and other responsibilities, he remains a committed member of the Global Methodist Church in Finland.
He plays a key leadership role in the church, which is attended by many Ghanaian migrants and other African migrants, Finns, and those of other nationalities.
His position in Asanteman Finland
Mr Osei Amoah is an outstanding member of the Asanteman Finland, where he is the Gyasehene, a prominent position as a sub-chief in the Asante (and Akan) royal hierarchy, in the functioning of the traditional authority systemgenerally in Ghana.
The Asanteman Finland is an association formed purposely with the aim of supporting each other as well as to ensure unity among its members and others outside of the group.
One of its top priorities of Asanteman Finland is to display the Asante culture in Finland. Mr Osei Amoah finds this as very important since by upholding the traditional culture and heritage, the association enables its members and especially the young ones to get the chance to learn and appreciate Asante and Ghanaian cultural values. They do this through rites such as marriage, the naming ceremony, and death and funeral rites, which makes the people to learn more of their provenance and not forget their origins.
“My point is that, by displaying the traditional heritage it helps people to learn more about their provenance. For, I think it will be embarrassing to go home and see that even the young ones have much knowledge about how to perform certain rites whilst those of us in the diaspora may be deficient in understanding those practices”, he argued. It is also very important for the young ones who are born in Finland to learn what the culture of their original society is, he continued.
The Finnish educational system
Mr Osei has a lot to say about the Finnish educational system, which he sees as very good. “When we came to Finland, education was free. There were library books and manuscripts readily available in the library, and one could print or make as many photocopies as possible for your studies. There was more flexibility. One could read books and write exams on them for the necessary grades in order to complete your studies”. In his opinion, Ghana could learn much from the Finnish system, which is one of the best in the world.
He said the only initial challenge he found in Finland was how to master the Finnish language, without which it was difficult to get a job befitting one’s status after the studies. But things have changed today and there are many English courses so it is easy to study and get a job that matches your studies, especially in the area of ICT, he said.
His role in the Ghanaian community
Mr Osei Amoah has been very active in the Ghanaian community, as I have indicated earlier. He is still very active in the Ghana Union Finland, and has played a leadership in many functions organised by the Union, as a non-governmental organisation for the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland.
Mr Amoah has been a counsellor and mentor who has guided many young Ghanaian migrants on their career paths and has also been part in settling various kinds of conflicts between opposing parties or persons. In conclusion, I would say Mr Osei Amoah has succeeded in embossing his name in the golden pages of visionary Ghanaians in both Sweden and Finland.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
