Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah
SECRETARY-GENERAL of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Yaw Baah, has commended the government on the quick intervention it made to address the plight of workers who called for a 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) especially, those on the Single Spine Salary Structure.
The 15% COLA takes effect July 1, this year.
Speaking at a press conference at the TUC office in Accra yesterday, he said “We thank the ministers and deputy ministers from the ministries of Employment, Finance, National Security and Education, for their positive attitude towards the negotiation that enabled the parties to reach a win-win deal.”
His commendation comes on the heels of government’s commitment to pay workers the 15 per cent.
He also asked labour unions to work closely amongst themselves to tackle challenges facing workers who retired in January 2020, under the New Pensions Act.
According to the Secretary-General, workers who retired under Pensions Act 766 received pension lump sums that were “inferior, compared to what they would have received under the old pension law (PNDC law 247).”
He, therefore, appealed to the government to honour the lump-sum top-up promised all retirees.
He added, “We are in July 2022, the lump-sum top-up has not been paid. We are demanding that government should honour that promise without further delay. We are also demanding a total overhaul of the pensions system.”
BY Ebenezer K. Amponsah