Industrial peace needed now!
Two key professional groups yesterday embarked on an industrial action to back their demand for improved conditions of service.
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The action by doctors and pharmacists in the public service crippled government hospitals throughout the country and denied health care to the people.
The doctors had embarked upon their action because the government and its agencies had refused to pay the current market premium on their basic salaries, contrary to the ruling of the National Labour Commission (NLC).
The implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) has come amid many challenges, although organised labour has welcomed the unified pay policy as a progressive step.
It is good news, however, that the government has approved guidelines for the determination of market premium for its employees under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). It said the guidelines covered workers with critical skills.
We also need to consider the suggestion for a stakeholders’ meeting to deal with labour agitation.
According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), such a forum would help bring out the issues concerning the social partners of labour, employers and the government.
The government has also indicated its readiness to take the necessary steps to address the concerns of workers to bring lasting solution to industrial unrest in the country.
We are worried that while all level-headed citizens of the country keep on talking to striking workers to call off their strike, the wind is blowing to other labour unions.
Just at the time of going to press, the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG) had hinted of embarking on a strike from today to back its demand for the release of subvention.
Our needs are insatiable and, therefore, no amount of money that is given to workers will satisfy them, and like Oliver Twist, they will always ask for more.
Nonetheless, the Daily Graphic thinks the social partners should do more to bring absolute harmony on the industrial scene.
Negotiations between labour and employers are likely to come up against disagreements between the parties, but if the parties believe in social dialogue, they will remain at the table until a compromise is arrived at.
The Daily Graphic calls on doctors, pharmacists and university teachers who have been on strike for about a week to rescind their decision in the best interest of the country.
It will also be good for the government to evaluate the SSSS implementation process so far to establish the challenges and opportunities with the SSPP, with the view to resolving them once and for all.
That is why we should also consider the suggestion from Mr Andy Asamoah, a former member of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, for an industrial truce to end all labour agitation.
The Daily Graphic calls on striking workers to return to the negotiation table to continue to dialogue with their employers in order to restore harmony to the industrial scene.
We do not think the striking workers will be happy to get their ‘pound of flesh’ after their actions had caused harm or undermined our economy.
The Daily Graphic thinks doctors will not be happy to achieve their demands after innocent lives had been lost because doctors deserted their consulting rooms to press home their demand for market premium.
We need peace on the labour front to have a united resolve to rebuild our economy.