Miscalculation By Leadership Ends in Big TUC Demo Fiasco!

TUC boss Adu Amankwah chose the wrong cause to be radical about and got a clear message from the generality of organized labour and the general public: "Back off", he was told in unequivocal terms.

As a result, the turn out at the Trades Union Congress' (TUC) demonstration against the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) yesterday was poor, considering the fact that it had been held up by the TUC as the "Mother of all Demonstrations" that would frighten the government from implementing the National Health Insurance Scheme.

At about 9:00 a.m yesterday, only a few workers wearing red arm bands and wielding placards could be seen waiting for the leadership at the Headquarters of the TUC.

Barely 24 hours earlier, three unions, (the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), the Judicial Workers Service Union (JUSAG) and the Construction Workers Association) had issued a statement dissociating themselves from the demonstrations.

If there was any signal that the TUC was going to have rotten eggs all over its face that was it!

The low turn out can therefore be partially attributed to the decision by these three major workers unions to disassociate themselves from the demonstration but mainly because the TUC's reasons have been seen by many people as narrow-minded.

The three unions among other reasons said they were disassociating themselves from the action because they supported the NHIS and therefore saw no need for the demonstration. The demonstration which was led by the Secretary-General of the TUC, Mr. Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, the Chairman of General Transport Union, Mr. Mensah, Secretary-General of the Civil Servants Association, Mr. Smart Chikabatie, the first Deputy Chairman of TUC, Mr. Bempong, TUC Chairman, Mr. A.K. Bonney was uneventful.

About four hundred police personnel armed with long batons and truncheons were on the scene to maintain law and order. The demonstration which was charaterised by the usual drumming and dancing started from the TUC Headquarters through some principal streets of Accra to the Ministry of Employment and Manpower Development.

It lasted for about three hours. The placards they were wielding read, "Workers are dying" "Stop cheating workers" "2% is workers money not government's money" "We have a right to control SSNIT funds," "Don't use our pension money for NHIS" and "Workers are suffering."

Dressed in white T-shirt and blue trousers to match with a red band on his neck, the Secretary-General of TUC, Mr. Adu-Amankwah said the demonstration is to compel the government to reconsider its decision to fund the NHIS with 2% of workers SSNIT contributions.

He said, "We have already indicated that all of us as organised labour are committed to seeing a National Health Insurance Scheme that benefits our members and helps to promote equity in the country."

Mr. Adu-Amankwah said the government should have consulted and sought the consent of the board and management and beneficiaries of SSNIT before passing the NHIS Act.

He said the Act is now inconsistent with the stated objectives of the Social Security law, PNDCL 247.

The Minister of Manpower and Employment Mr. Yaw Barimah received a petition from the demonstrators.

He said the government appreciated the decorum the TUC has exhibited regarding the issue and although labour and government throughout the world thought o themselves as partners they are bound to disagree on certain issues sometimes.

"It is perhaps unfortunate that this has come to this but we want to assure you that we appreciate the concerns that labour has raised in this petition," he said.

He said the government is prepared to hold further discussions with the TUC to reach a consensus.

He said the petition would be presented to the President Kufuor and assured the demonstrators that it would be treated with a "measure of pragmatism and openness to ensure that at the end we all get what is best for the country."

Mr. Barimah called on the TUC to exercise restraint and said the government would act swiftly on their petition.

This demonstration fiasco now puts the government in a stronger position because the TUC has metaphorically destroyed one of its bridges. The remaining one, court action can be a drawn out affair.