Labour unrest could crash Ghana – Doctor

A Medical doctor at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has said government’s failure to arrest the current labour unrest over claims of the second tier pension scheme by public workers could crash the nation.

“The government will regret if it fails to mitigate these agitations by the over 6000 public workers”, Dr. Ernest Kwako noted in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle in Kumasi.

According to him, the current unrest could crash the nation if measures are not put forward to address it, without any further delay.

The medical officer maintained that the second tier issue was crucial as long as workers live and that workers who are due for retirement could suffer from this second tier issue if Government fails to give money to National Pension Regulatory Association (NPRA).

Dr. Kwako noted the said tier must be agreeable pension scheme and not singularly manned by the state. “We want our scheme to be supervised by NPRA to ensure confidence in the scheme,” he stated and called for the payment of pension under the second tier into our account immediately with a decent interest.

Dr. Kwako said as the strike is aggravating each passing day, the earlier the Government resolves it the better, adding it is simple and, therefore, it should not take the Government long to solve it. “If Government has political strategy about the whole issue, they should let the public know the truth”.

According to the Obstetrician and Gynecologist, this labour unrest which cuts across ethnic and partisan fronts is devoid of any political persuasion; hence a lot of people are supporting the motion.

He disclosed that the second tier was part of workers and labour unions want to use it on a long term investment for long term returns for pensioners.

On the consequences of the strike, Dr. Kwako revealed that that Government hospitals are getting emptier by the day as specialized services at KATH have ceased working, putting patients in dire distress.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kwako has indicated that his unit and the family planning reproductive unit are not on strike and are rendering full services to the public.