12 Ghana Unions Agree to Talks in Spite of Court Action by Government
Representatives of the Forum of Public Sector Registered Pension Scheme Workers have agreed to return to the negotiation table, in spite of a suit filed against them by the government.
The decision, according to the forum, followed advice by its lawyers to continue with negotiations as it prepared its responses to the suit.
The forum, however, makes it clear that its members would not call off the indefinite strike.
Meeting with lawyers
A Spokesperson for the forum, Ms Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, told journalists in Accra Wednesday that upon the advice of the lawyers, the forum would meet the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations today.
Ms Ofori-Ampofo, who is also the General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), said although the matter was now in court and the forum was preparing to respond to the writ, its lawyers had given it the go-ahead to meet the government in negotiations.
She said the unions were more than capable in responding to the writ.
The acting General Secretary of the Health Services Workers Union (HSWU), Mr Reynolds O. Tenkorang, explained that the advice of the lawyers meant that workers were fighting their cause with all the weapons at their disposal.
The Forum is a coalition of 12 labour unions campaigning for the full disclosure of their pension funds by the government under the National Pensions Law 2008 (Act 766).
Membership of forum
They include the HSWU, the GRNA, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Ghana Physician Assistants Association (GPAA), the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOPSA) and the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GRCRA).
Others are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).
The rest are the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG) and the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG).
Background
On June 30, 2014, the forum gave the government up to July 14, 2014 to transfer its second-tier pension funds to their preferred fund managers.
The unions called a press conference on Tuesday, October 23, 2014, during which they announced a strike, saying several deliberations had not yielded any results.
The Attorney-General, on October 24, 2014, sued the workers on behalf of the government, asking the Accra High Court to declare the indefinite strike illegal.
A statement of claim accompanying the suit prayed the court for an order to compel the unions to call off the strike and resume work.
 |
| Ms. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo is the General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association. |
The decision, according to the forum, followed advice by its lawyers to continue with negotiations as it prepared its responses to the suit.
The forum, however, makes it clear that its members would not call off the indefinite strike.
Meeting with lawyers
A Spokesperson for the forum, Ms Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, told journalists in Accra Wednesday that upon the advice of the lawyers, the forum would meet the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations today.
Ms Ofori-Ampofo, who is also the General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA), said although the matter was now in court and the forum was preparing to respond to the writ, its lawyers had given it the go-ahead to meet the government in negotiations.
She said the unions were more than capable in responding to the writ.
The acting General Secretary of the Health Services Workers Union (HSWU), Mr Reynolds O. Tenkorang, explained that the advice of the lawyers meant that workers were fighting their cause with all the weapons at their disposal.
The Forum is a coalition of 12 labour unions campaigning for the full disclosure of their pension funds by the government under the National Pensions Law 2008 (Act 766).
Membership of forum
They include the HSWU, the GRNA, the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the Ghana Physician Assistants Association (GPAA), the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOPSA) and the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GRCRA).
Others are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT).
The rest are the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG) and the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG).
Background
On June 30, 2014, the forum gave the government up to July 14, 2014 to transfer its second-tier pension funds to their preferred fund managers.
The unions called a press conference on Tuesday, October 23, 2014, during which they announced a strike, saying several deliberations had not yielded any results.
The Attorney-General, on October 24, 2014, sued the workers on behalf of the government, asking the Accra High Court to declare the indefinite strike illegal.
A statement of claim accompanying the suit prayed the court for an order to compel the unions to call off the strike and resume work.
No comments:
Post a Comment