Government is set to engage the 12 labour unions whose members – as announced by their leadership – have threatened to lay down their tools after Friday, September 29.
This was made known by Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day on Saturday, the New Patriotic Party MP said the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government has been diligent in making sure workers are given what they are due.
He said the recent agitations have to do with the management of the second-tier pension funds during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Over the week, precisely on Thursday, the 12 labour unions – which form the Forum for Public Sector Registered Pension Schemes – asked government to transfer their second-tier pension arrears, of over 80 months, to a custodian bank of their choice.
Led by spokesperson Isaac Bampoe-Addo, the unions said they will embark on an indefinite strike should government fail to heed to their demand.
The funds span 2010 to 2016.
Among the unions are Mr Bampoe-Addo’s Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Health Service Workers Union (HSWU) and National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
But Sekondi MP believes government will definitely engage the unions in order to get them to out of the path they have served notice to go.
“I do not think that there will be a strike,” he boldly stated.
The agitations of the Forum span over two years with the previous government insisting the Central Bank gives public sector workers more insurance in keeping pension funds than any other bank.
With the renewed request, the engagement of the current government, which is nine months old, is expected to determine whether the unions will prosecute their threat or back down.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana