The Deputy General Secretary of the Trade union Congress (TUC) Mr. Joshua Ansah said organized Labour will not accept the tricks and excuses given by the government in the 2023 ongoing base pay negotiations that there is no money, and the country is hard.
Speaking on Joynews PM expressed Mr. Joshua Ansah noted that Government has failed over the years to meet the financial obligation of organized Labour in the country claiming there is no money in the country.
He noted that as for the ability of the government to meet the obligation of organized Labour they have been hearing since the time of Adam and Eve whenever there were negotiations but after the larger section of Ghanaians have taken peanuts then the politicians begin to live extravagant live style.
“As for the ability to pay, we started hearing it from the day Adam was born. Anytime there is negotiation between us and government or employers, that is the word, that is the slogan, that is the song they sing, ‘ability to pay’. And that ability to pay has been in existence from Adam up till today.
“I don’t think that is a real excuse that can whither us away from demanding what we’re demanding. Ability to pay, but you can see that after they have given us the peanuts people go out there and you see them not living lives of ability to pay people,” he said.
He further noted that organized Labour is the producers and when the product is in excess profit and Organized Labour wants to enjoy something, the government begins to complain. He wants all workers to share what profit is their small.
“So why is it that when we produce the excess profit that we are only demanding something small out of it employers and government tells us that there is no money, the economy is bad and this and that. I think we have heard it and it’s enough for us. We are no longer going to listen to that. Let us all feel the heat, let us all share what is there,” Mr. Joshua noted.