Isaac Nii Baah, Head of Compensation at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has urged the government to engage more deeply with Organised Labour to reduce labour unrest and strikes.
He emphasized that the government’s approach to managing institutions directly affects industrial peace.
Mr. Nii Baah stressed that overcoming Ghana’s economic crisis requires building bridges and holding open discussions with labour leaders.
He noted that a rigid stance from government officials often triggers unrest.
Organised Labour recently called off an indefinite strike by public sector workers protesting the sale of SSNIT’s 60 percent stake in four hotels.
This decision came after SSNIT terminated the sale under pressure from worker unions.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s morning show ‘Adekyee Mu Nsem’ with Citizen Kofi Owusu, Mr. Nii Baah warned that if the government continues to ignore their grievances, Organised Labour would gladly use strikes to make their voices heard.
“We can hold the country at ransom if the government fails to take us seriously. Unionism has evolved, and while we’re in a democratic era, if the government doesn’t listen, we will turn the country upside down,” he declared.
Mr. Nii Baah also denied allegations that the strike was politically motivated, stating, “We don’t do politics. If we waited until after the elections to speak up, the hotels would have been sold by then.”
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites✍️) / Ahotoronline.com
