Organised labour lauds Council of State

Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah has praised the Council of State for its contribution towards a successful agreement between government and organised labour.

In an event in Accra on December 22, 2022, which saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between government and organised labour on the exemption of pension funds from the Domestic Debt Exchange programme, Dr. Baah who represented Organised Labour thanked President Akufo-Addo and his government for having a listening ear towards the plea of workers in the country.

In his speech, Dr. Baah expressed his sincere gratitude to the Council of State for its contribution towards the exemption of pension funds.

In addressing the media, he acknowledged the role played by the Council of State under the leadership of Nana Otuo Siriboe II.

He stated that the Chairman of the Council of State personally worked tirelessly by engaging both government and Labour to ensure that there was peace in the country.

He explained that the organised labour had no intention of causing destruction, but they believe that pension funds should not be touched. He rather stated that if anything, pensions should be improved in the country.

The statement by Dr. Baah on the impact of the Council of State in the exemption of pension funds from the domestic debt exchange programme has come at a time when the Council has been under serious criticism for its relevance and there has been calls for the scrapping of the or replacing of the Council of State with the senate system which others believe will be more effective.

The current Council of State has been working tirelessly in line with its mandate as stipulated by chapter 9 of the 1992 Constitution. It has had several engagements with the government and other stakeholders especially during these financial crises on the way forward.

The Council has had series of meetings with the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Ghana and other stakeholders in the trade and industry sector on measures to improve the strength of the cedi to other major foreign currencies. Possibly, the current appreciation of the cedi against major foreign currencies could be some of the outcomes of the Council’s work.

It must be noted that the Council of State is unable to make known most of its work to public as a result of provisions of the constitution which limits the public activities of the Council of State.