The Executive Committee of the Ghana Federation of Labour, GFL, has requested the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to convene an emergency meeting of the National Tripartite Committee to address the fall out of the approved 2021 budget.
According to the Federation, failure of the government to allow the National Tripartite to consider wage adjustments and determine public sector base pay will embolden employers to refuse salary or wage negotiation increment with the Trade Unions thereby affecting productivity across the public and private sectors.
Making reference to some sections of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government, in a statement signed by the General Secretary of the GFL, Abraham Koomson, the introduction of the COVID-19 Health Levy, Energy Sector Levies Act and the Financial Sector Clean up Levy of 5% as well as Sanitation and Pollution levy, the Federation strongly believes the new taxes will gravely affect the Ghanaian populace considering the government’s inability to increase wages and salaries of workers.
The statement further reiterated that though across the globe, including African Countries, governments have committed to mitigating the impact of the pandemic on the citizenry, Ghana remains far behind.
It recalled that the Ghanaian government accessed funds from the IMF and other benevolent agencies to provide stimulus packages for distressed companies yet nothing has happened rather businesses collapsing with workers losing their jobs.
The Ghana Federation of Labour is entreating the Employment Ministry to act swiftly to save Ghanaian workers.
STORY BY: EDITH ATIAKA-ESHUN
