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We Shall Lead The Working Population To Resist Any IMF Restrictions – TUC
The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) says it will resist any attempt by Government through an International Monetary Fund (IMF) sponsored programme to impose restrictions on sectors of the economy that will bring hardships to workers.
Dr Yaw Baah, Secretary General of the Congress, said: “TUC will lead the working people of Ghana to resist any attempts to impose hardships on workers and their families and the population as a whole.”
Speaking in a press conference on the topic “Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) and the National Economic Situation,” he said IMF-sponsored programmes and policies had been completely divorced from reality and would only impose hardships on Ghanaians.
The Secretary-General said they were reminding the Government that as part of the negotiations for 2021 and 2022 base pay, they had agreed to four and seven percent pay increases respectively on the condition that the government would not declare redundancies.
“And that Government will continue to employ young people into the public service,” he said.
Dr Baah said they kicked against the Government going to IMF bailout 17 times because they had mentioned that one of the main challenges in the management of the economy had to do with corruption.
He said others were the failure on the part of successive governments to transform the structure of the economy to allow Ghanaians ‘to produce what we eat and eat what we produce.’
Organised Labour, led by the TUC reached an agreement with Government for a 15 per cent CoLA for all workers on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), effective July 1, 2022.
Meanwhile, Dr Yaw Baah said, the struggle for good standard of living was not over because the cost-of-living crisis was not over as inflation had hit 29.8 per cent and there were no signs that it would decline soon.
He said young people, educated at great costs to their parents and the nation, were struggling to get jobs that would be commensurate with their levels of education and skills.
“The national economic outlook remains grim, and we relish in the glory of not only securing a lifeline for struggling workers but also avoiding a potential disaster on the labour scene.
Source: GNA
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
