July seems to be an unending one for the government.
The myriad of disturbances in the labour space has worsened as deliberations so far are yet to see the light of day.
The running theme in this latest series of agitation has to do with the Cost of Living Allowances (COLA).
It has become imperative as most public workers say the financial downturn in the country is leaving a burden too heavy for them to shoulder.
On the back of this, many of them – from the educational to health and other sectors – have threatened with others already laying down their tools until their concerns are addressed.
Below is a list of unions who have embarked on strike so far even as government negotiates to get them back to the workplaces.
4 teacher unions
The educational sector saw the first major step which snowballed into what has become a full-blown industrial action.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) went on strike on July 5, 2022.
On July 12, a meeting between stakeholders and government ended inconclusively for the second time as NAGRAT, GNAT walked out of the forum.
This has been compounded by the worsening food shortage crisis in senior high schools across the country.
Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana
On Wednesday, Senior staff of the country’s public universities declared a strike.
At a news conference, members of the Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana were asked by their leadership to “go home.”
In addition to COLA, the association is also unhappy that accrued interest on Tier 2 pension arrears has not been paid.
The members are also worried about what they describe as university salary disparities.
Apart from these organisations who have embarked on a strike, many others have served notices of their intention to follow suit in the coming days.
Over 27,000 public sector workers are on the verge of striking. The officials belonging to the Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU) are set to embark on industrial action on July 19, to demand their COLA.
The others include;
Ghana Medical Association (GMA)
Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives (GRNM)
Health Services Workers’ Union (HSWU)
Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA)
Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG)
Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU)
Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission (NLC) has already intervened in a stalemate between Organised Labour and the government over the demand for 20% COLA.
