Can we ever stop strikes?

For quite some time now labour unions in various sectors of the economy have turned their backs to their workplaces.

The labour unions that have gone on strikes since the beginning of this year cannot be counted on our fingers. But the count will suffice here. Presently going on is the strike by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) to back its demand for better conditions of service.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is leading an agitation by organised labour to protest against increases in utility tariffs. Its 10-day ultimatum to the government and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to reduce the tariffs has already elapsed and whether the TUC will carry out its threat or not is yet to be seen.

Strikes are not new phenomena in labour relations in the country. They actually form part of the bargaining tool of working people throughout the world. Strikes have, however, become counterproductive in our part of the world because of the way we have gone about them.

In the advanced economies, workers withdraw their services for limited days, at most for three days or 72 hours, as a sign of warning to employers to act or face more disruptive actions.

But, unfortunately, in our case strikes can go on for months, without a solution to the industrial dispute.

The Daily Graphic thinks that this trend cannot continue forever and that we ought to find a solution to these disruptive industrial actions.

The Presidential Advisor on National Security, Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah, has started a debate with his suggestion: “If anybody goes on strike, he should not be paid. If you cannot sacrifice for the country the way some of us have done, then get out.”

But some members of organised labour disagree with him, saying that strikes are lawful, provided workers go through the processes in the Labour Law.

This debate will take some time and it will be controversial and heated.

But our position is that we should not shy away from the debate but rather look at it dispassionately, with a view to resolving this problem once and for all.

The implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy has created some problems for our economy. But who can we blame, apart from ourselves? As a sovereign nation, we have our destiny in our own hands and that is why we have to generate the present resources to enhance our dignity, instead of the present situation in which our leaders globe-trot to look for money to balance our budget.

Our economy is not in good health and we all need to work hard to put it back on a sound footing. Strikes are not the solution to the plight of the ordinary worker. They will rather make it difficult for the economy to grow for the government to make enough money to improve the well-being of the people.

However, the Daily Graphic expects the government to set the tone. It must lead the crusade for sacrifice by cutting our coat according to our cloth. We believe if the people see the sacrifices by our leadership, they will buy into the call by the government that everybody must lend a hand in the task of building a better Ghana.

After all, example, they say, is better than precept.

Daily Graphic/Ghana