Mr Franklin Owusu Ansah, the General Secretary of the Health Services Workers’ Union (HSWU), has urged the government to improve the micro economic indicators to restore workers’ take-home pay.
He said at the time that Organised Labour bargained and got 30 per cent pay increment, inflation was hovering around 50 per cent.
“Many people were not happy, and they are justified because what it means is that government was not able to restore individual take home salaries and that is a challenge,” he added.
He said: “If government has anything to do, it should work to better the micro economic indicators and to make sure that these indicators are good… so that assuming we get 10 per cent increment and inflation is around five per cent, then you know that you have restored what you can buy and even have an additional five per cent”.
“But if you give me 30 per cent and inflation is about 50 per cent, then it is like l have a deficit of 20 per cent to finance,” Mr Owusu added.
Speaking in an interview at the ongoing National Executive Committee Meeting of HSWU, he said “no matter how high the percentage that you got for your members, they will definitely not be happy because inflation has taken away the real income.”
The General Secretary, however, expressed the hope that the upcoming mid-year budget review would come with good micro economic indicators to inform the percentage Organised Labour would put on the negotiation table.
“If they are able to bring the inflation and other macro economic indicators down, we will also go with a lower figure but if they stay high then, we are also compelling to take higher percentage to the table,” he said.
Alhaji Zakaria Mohemmed, the National Chairman, noted that the rapid rate of Casualisation of Work and Non-recruitment of Paramedical Staff into the Service remained a challenge to their membership.
He also bemoaned the diminishing level of enthusiasm and loyalty of existing members, which he said has informed the leadership’s resolve to introduce various welfare packages to boost morale and interest in union activities.
He said because of the above Union finances have also reduced as members plummet making it increasingly difficult for the Union to offer many tangible services and benefits to members as planned.
Alhaji Mohammed said: “Wages are dwindling in real terms and poverty is rising as workers and families struggle to survive.”
“Employers sponsored benefits keep eroding on daily bases as a result of harsh economic conditions coupled with the stringent IMF conditionality,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said all these difficulties have challenged them to continue to find other avenues to cushion members, adding, “we will continue to explore other means to make our members comfortable and to increase productivity”
GNA
