Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Resolve outstanding issues to stem chaos!!

Since Friday, people concerned with the progress of Ghana have been worried about the industrial action declared that day by organised labour to begin Monday (yesterday).

Their concerns were in respect of what would happen to the state if Ghana did not emerge, and the strike became as indefinite as it had been declared to be.

It would be recalled that in its editorial yesterday, the Ghanaian Times called for cool heads and dialogue to resolve the matter between organized labour and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The Ghanaian Times is, therefore, happy that organised labour called off its indefinite strike by public-sector workers to protest the sale of SSNIT’s 60 percent stake in four hotels.

The hotels are Labadi Beach, La Palm Beach, Royal Ridge, and Elmina Beach, which are going to be sold to a private operator, Rock City Hotel, owned by Bryan

Acheampong, a minister in the incumbent government.

The Ghanaian Times commends organised labour, comprising 10 labour unions, for their willingness to call off their indefinite strike.

This is a clear show of patriotism because if the unions had not given in, all the public could imagine would be chaos in the public sector system.

With reference to this paper’s banner story, which narrates the accounts of the absence of workers from their workplaces, including schools and hospitals, members of the public can now guess the dire consequences the indefinite strike would have brought about.

From all indications, though it ended the very day it was started, the strike by organised labour can pass as a successful one.

This is because it has caused certain actions to be taken and others to be expected to follow, such as Rock City Hotel's decision not to go ahead and purchase SSNIT’s stake in the four hotels.

The Ghanaian Times thinks some amount of accountability has been secured, and organised labour must, henceforth, show such fire in matters of public interest to demand accountability for themselves and on behalf of the voiceless, who have been taken for granted for far too long by public institutions and officials, including politicians.

These institutions and their officials must be reminded that they have just been given the privilege to apply state power, but the real power resides in the people.

The Ghanaian Times, at this point, joins Dr. Yaw Baah, Secre­tary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), in expressing gratitude to all the working people of Ghana and all organised labour groups for their support for the strike.

Yours is a show of gallantry and a call to the powers that be that the status quo must change if they want to have peace of mind.

Those who care must learn a lesson from what has happened: there is some power residing in the people, which many refuse to regard as having potency but which can be very destructive, and the results would have ramifications for the whole country.

Organised labour has not hidden its intentions to rekindle its protest if outstanding issues affecting workers are not addressed by SSNIT.

The Ghanaian Times expects that SSNIT will abide by the one-month ultimatum given by organised labour and do the needful, giving organised labour advance notice if one thing or another cannot be done within the period.

This should be the case in order to not give organised labour cause to “advise themselves.”