No Reset Without Fair Pay – TUC to Mahama as Workers’ Woes Deepen
UC urges President Mahama to prioritize fair wages, pension reform, and labour rights as part of any future governance agend
- Ghanaian workers demand better wages and conditions
- Income inequality and pension disparities are worsening under current systems
- Workers' rights, including union freedom, are being violated and must be protected
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has sent a strong message to President John Mahama, asserting that Ghanaian workers cannot be part of any proposed national transformation unless their wages and working conditions are significantly improved.
Speaking during the May Day celebration at Black Star Square in Accra, TUC Chairman Bernard Owusu highlighted the pressing need to address deteriorating pay and poor working conditions.
He noted that the wage situation has declined further since Mahama’s previous administration.
“Our earnings and workplace conditions are getting worse. The wage environment has deteriorated since your last term in office,” Mr. Owusu stated.
He stressed that salaries have not kept pace with the soaring cost of living, leading to a sharp erosion in real wages over the past four years. He also pointed out a widening income gap in both public and private sectors.
“The pension system is failing workers. Pension amounts are shockingly unequal—while some retirees receive as little as GH¢396.58 a month, others collect over GH¢21,000. This disparity is not what workers expected from the three-tier system,” he added.
Owusu voiced additional concerns over the violation of workers’ rights, particularly the freedom to unionize.
He condemned instances where employees are threatened with dismissal for attempting to form or join unions.
He referenced the case of the dismissed workers from Asogli, urging the president to reinstate them and ensure their rights are respected.
Recalling past mass layoffs under Mahama’s administration, Owusu warned against repeating those mistakes and urged the current leadership to embrace a new, worker-centered direction.
“As we rally behind a leadership promising a national reset, we must commit to a path that does not replicate the hardships of the past,” he said.
Owusu called for amnesty for all recently dismissed public sector workers and outlined the elements of a true reset: fairness, inclusion, and justice for workers.
He concluded with a call to action for Mahama, advocating for the introduction of a living wage, the harmonization of public sector wages and pensions, the formation of an independent emoluments commission, and a comprehensive overhaul of the Labour Act to better safeguard workers’ rights.
