TUC cautions NPP and NDC

Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the political actors to exercise restraint and allow the rule of law to prevail.

He said although the December 7, elections was peaceful there are still challenges since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has failed to concede defeat.

Mr Asamoah was speaking at the annual interaction between members of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and TUC in Accra.

He said prior to the 2012 election, the TUC signaled its intentions to resist any attempt by any group of people to subvert the sovereign will of the people.

“We still stand by this resolve. It is in keeping with this that we have commended the stakeholders for the initiative they have taken so far,” he said.

He said until the declaration of the EC is set aside by a court of competence the TUC respect it.

He said the union commended the NPP for choosing to head to the court to have their grievances of alleged electoral malpractices addressed.

Mr Asamoah said despite the country’s impressive growth statistics many Ghanaians are increasingly feeling marginalised.

He said the economic growth is not impacting positively and adequately on the lives of the majority adding that many young people who have been encouraged and together with their parents invested their time and resources education are without jobs.

He said the most disturbing situation about the employment crisis is that policy makers and politicians appear to have very little incentive to address the problem.

Mr Asamoah said the current unemployment debacle that the country is experiencing emanate directly from bad economic policies.

He said the implementation of economic policy framework based on managing inflation and growing the economy regardless of whether the growth creates jobs or not is a bad strategy for the employment generation.

“Our view is that solving the employment problem must begin with changing the economic paradigm that we have implemented for the last 30 years,” he said.

The TUC Boss commended the government for implementing the Single Spine Pay Policy and the Single Spin Salary Structure, (SSSS), which he said was developed to address the inequalities and distortions in the public sector compensation system and to deal decisively with lawful pay in that sector.

He said the migration of some public sector worker unto the SSSS have been met with agitations and industrial action.

Mr Asamoah therefore called on the government and employers to support the TUC’s quest for a living wage for workers.

“We believe that a living wage for all workers and improved working conditions can also contribute to improving productivity in Ghana” he added.