Labour dispute resolution expert, Austin Gamey, has called on the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to call for a national tripartite committee meeting with organised labour to address its grievances.

Mr Gamey revealed that it is not good on the part of government to have stalled in addressing the concerns of teachers following an appeal made by NAGRAT on May Day. He noted that Ghana’s Labour Act makes a clear cut provision for the national tripartite committee to be established with specific functions to achieve its aim.

“So, the proactivity on the part of the employer, you have a responsibility to ensure that you engage your people because for lack of inclusivity, you can have people taking actions. So, they say they are going to be hoisting red flag, which is potentially a strike, because under section 127(3) of our Labour Act, you are not supposed to threaten each other, but you have given them the opportunity.
They should have called them and it’s not late. I know my colleagues at the ministry of employment and labour relations are very serious people. They should immediately call for national tripartite committee meeting and let it not be focused mainly on national daily minimum wage because the obvious thing is that we have an inflationary thing on our hand…”
Austin Gamey

Mr Gamey highlighted that it is the duty of the employer to invite organised labour for a meeting and have discussions on their demands. He explained that the meeting must not be a debate or an argument and should rather focus on the needful, being their concerns.

“They should be happy that they are asking for Cost of Living Allowance and not necessarily an astronomical increase in pay.”
Austin Gamey

NAGRAT presses home its demand for COLA

On his part, the Vice President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Jacob Anaba, expressed the need for government to implement the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in order to offset some burden from teachers. He noted that the Association had a press conference today, June 7, 2022, and is yet to hear anything from government. That notwithstanding, he noted that NAGRAT is still on course in its demands.

“We are hoping that something will change by close of day. As you are aware, the Ghanaian workers have been patiently waiting for government to make an announcement that at least, take this to cushion yourselves in the moment of hardship; we are not hearing it and this is the time to act. In fact, it was on the May Day that we were very hopeful because the President was there when the Secretary General made an announcement that we needed some cushioning in the form of COLA (Cost of Living Allowance). So, we were expecting something to kick start and we’ve waited for a month and over.”
Jacob Anaba

Mr Anaba indicated that as a result of the economic challenges in the country, one of the motivation for a worker is his salary and what one says to that effect can either motivate the worker or not. He stated that the output of workers are currently not the best because they are not very stable both psychologically and mentally.

“It is in the interest of all of us to ensure that something is done to cushion the worker. Something must be said [because] since May 1^st, we haven’t heard a word from any minister or from the President.”
Jacob Anaba