[ 2014-10-24 ]

TUC backs strike by 12 unions
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has thrown its
weight behind the ongoing strike by some public
sector labour unions and associations against the
government’s interference in the management of
the second-tier pension scheme.

“We would like to assure all public sector
workers and their unions involved in the ongoing
strike that the TUC fully supports them in their
legitimate struggle to secure the future of
workers against the hardships and vulnerabilities
associated with low and inadequate pension
benefits and ensure that the National Pensions
Regulatory Authority (NAPRA) is allowed to
regulate pensions without any interference from
the government,” a statement signed and released
by the Secretary General of the TUC, Mr Kofi
Asamoah, said.

The lackadaisical attitude on the part of the
government towards that important issue, it said,
had been the main cause of the industrial action.

“From January 2015, a significant number of
workers will qualify for lump payment under the
second-tier. We would like to advise the
government to allow all registered second-tier
pension schemes for public sector workers to
operate immediately without any form of
interference,” it added.

It entreated all members of unions involved in the
ongoing action to join the “struggle to ensure a
successful action” and also urged all entities
to, as a matter of urgency, register their
employees in order to not jeopardise their future,
as well as avoid any further industrial action.

Meanwhile, Victor Kwawukume reports that the
effect of the indefinite strike declared by a
number of labour unions last Wednesday has taken a
negative toll on some institutions, especially
public health institutions, schools and state
agencies.

The strike, in its second day, witnessed a drastic
reduction in operations at the outpatients
departments (OPDs) of the Accra Psychiatric and
the Ridge hospitals.

The Accra Psychiatric Hospital, which records very
high attendance on Mondays and Thursdays, had a
virtually empty OPD yesterday.

Moreover, the usual busy environment that
characterised the everyday operations of the
hospital was absent, with uniformed nurses spotted
either idling or in small groups chatting.

Skeletal staff
The Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS) of
the hospital, Mr Nsiah Anyetei, told the Daily
Graphic that the hospital had a skeletal staff
operating.

He was fully supportive of the strike, adding that
the government ought to do the right thing.

Patients have advised themselves
The absence of patients at the OPD, he observed,
might also be because “the patients have advised
themselves” in view of the announced indefinite
strike.

But he was emphatic that a prolonged strike could
have unimaginably dire consequences for the
psychiatric hospital, given its specialist
disposition.

At the Ridge Hospital, the medical superintendent
and the administrator were both absent, but
sources within the hospital administration told
the Daily Graphic that the decision to embark on
an indefinite strike had been communicated to the
hospital authorities.

In view of that, a good number of unionised staff
had withdrawn their services, leaving a few of
them to carry out the activities of the hospital.

Human lives involved
Unlike other state institutions, a source at the
Ridge Hospital said, a hospital could not just
shut down with the declaration of a strike because
human lives were involved.

“The union leaders who declared the action know
this fact. If any of them or persons close to them
should be involved in an emergency, what will they
do?” it asked.

The Daily Graphic observed that the offices of the
Family Planning, the DDNS and the clinical
psychologist had all been closed.

At the Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School
(PRESEC), Legon, the Daily Graphic gathered that
teachers were on strike but the students said they
were celebrating the Students’ Representative
Council (SRC) Week and, therefore, the full impact
of the action was not being felt.

Real problem
“But if the action should continue to next week,
that is where the real problem will be,” a
third-year student, who gave his name only as
Benjamin, said.

The Nii Sowah Din Cluster of Schools at
Adjiringanor had its Primary Section locked up,
while the Junior High School pupils were idling
about at a time when the headteacher was said to
be in a crisis meeting with some staff members.

At the Ministries, offices looked deserted and the
usual busy atmosphere that prevailed there was
absent.

While driving through town, the Daily Graphic
observed that the usual traffic congestion that
characterised the central business district and
other areas in the national capital had reduced
drastically.

Sekondi/Takoradi

From Sekondi/Takoradi, Moses Dotsey Koblah
Aklorbortu reports that a visit to some public
institutions in the metropolis indicated that some
doctors and nurses an teachers in various health
and educational institutions were at post on day
two of the strike by public sector workers.

At the Effia-Nkwantah, Takoradi, Kwesimintsim and
Essikadu hospitals and other health facilities,
doctors and nurses were at post.

However, at some of the hospitals, such as the
regional hospital, there was nobody at the OPD.

Enquiries at all government schools in the
metropolis and other parts of the region indicated
that only final-year students were in class.

Interestingly, some of the teachers and nurses
told the Daily Graphic that even though they had
been asked to join the strike, they did not really
understand what the strike was about.

Wa
From Wa, Michael Quaye reports that some teachers
in the Upper West Region joined the national
strike on the second day of the nationwide labour
action.

At many of the public basic and high schools in
the region, many teachers stayed away, although a
few others were fully at work.

Some students told the Daily Graphic that they
were not sure which of their teachers would show
up in school the next day following the
unannounced absence of some of them.

At the otherwise bubbly Wa Municipal Directorate
of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the premises
were quiet, with only visitors and a handful of
staff around when he Daily Graphic visited the
facility after 1 p.m. yesterday.

It was a similarly situation at the regional
directorate of the GES whose nearly 20 offices
were closed, except for three of them.

With the Circuit Court in full session during the
day, it did not seem the members of the Judicial
Service had taken to the strike on the second
day.

At the Upper West Regional Hospital, the staff
remained at work all day.

Kumasi
From Kumasi, Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor reports that
health workers joined the action on the second
day.

The first day saw most hospitals attending to
patients and offering full services to their
clientele.

However, following a directive from the Forum for
Health Sector Occupational Pension Scheme, at the
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital only a few health
personnel attended to patients on admission.

Aside from attending to those already on
admission, the hospital attended to only emergency
cases and pregnant women who reported for
delivery.

A visit by the Daily Graphic to the OPD of KATH
revealed empty seats, with no staff on duty.

One patient who gave his name only as Baba said he
had been at the OPD since morning and was told
that the staff were on strike and as such he would
not be attended to.

At the Kumasi Court Complex, it was business as
usual as the courts were in full session.

The staff said they were still waiting for
directives from their leaders to also embark on
the strike.

The story was mixed on the educational front.
While some of the teachers in basic schools
adhered to the strike, others were still working.

At the AME Zion Basic School at Asafo and the Adum
Presbyterian School, not a single soul was found,
while at the Kumasi Anglican Senior High School,
teachers were in the classrooms teaching.

Source - Daily Graphic

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