Workers deserve a better wage and salary regime - Gidisu

Mr Joe Gidisu, NDC-North Tongu - on Thursday called for a wage and salary regime that would give the worker a bit of relief from the harsh economic conditions precipitated by the hike in utility tariffs and petroleum prices.

"Presently, workers are getting disillusioned not just because of the low levels of salaries but the distortions within the structure."

The member who had begun the second day of the debate on the State of the Nation Address, said: "The President should have stressed on a national debate on salaries."

Mr Gidisu asked for realistic pension payments and arrangements to make the last days of the worker a little bit pleasant.

He called for the return of subsidies on agricultural inputs since most farmers were not able to afford those crucial items.

Mr Kwabena Sarfo, NPP-Offinso South - lauded the President for initiating a robust enrolment drive for girls.

He said most governments of old had not paid the needed attention to girls and described the initiative as "historic".

The member said population figures suggested that females out-numbered males yet girls formed just 43 per cent of the entire senior secondary school population.

"The government is bringing up 15 girls' schools nation-wide with the needed facilities which would create 4,500 vacancies in the short term."

Major Samuel Amponsah, NDC-Mpohor Wassa East, - said: "The President should do something new in his life by giving workers their due so that the assumption that governments pretend to pay workers and that workers pretend to work would be a thing of the past."

Mr I.K.N Ofori, NDC-Sefwi Wiawso - asked government to increase cocoa prices to curb the smuggling of the produce across the countries western frontiers to Cote D'Ivoire.

He said the reason or logic expressed over the hike in petroleum prices equally applied to cocoa and that no security measure could curtail it.

The member said the high transportation fares would encourage absenteeism and lateness at workplaces.

Mr D.Y Mensah, Attebubu North - accused the government of massive dismissal of workers perceived to be sympathisers of the former administration and warned that unless that act of intimidation was stopped, an uncharitable party that might win the polls in the future might follow suit.

A proverb that earned him cheers seemed to have won the day for an old man whose political life spans six decades. "If a snake wants to wear waist beads, you leave it to please itself for sooner than later it would realise that it has no waist," he said.