The biggest worker union in Ghana, Trades Union Congress (TUC), says it will resist any attempt by government to impose hardships on Ghanaians as a result of conditionality from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Ghana is getting ready for its 18th extended credit facility (ECF) from the Fund as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has authorized the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to begin engagements.
Officials of the Fund are expected in the country on Wednesday, July 6.
But the TUC has been against the move, saying the bailout will not change the country’s economic situation as previously seen.
“Ghana has done this seventeen times and government has just announced the commencement of engagements for the eighteenth IMF-sponsored programme,” said a statement signed by TUC’s Secretary General Dr Anthony Yaw Baah.
“One thing is very certain – the eighteenth IMF programme will not solve our problems.
“Therefore, we should be prepared for the nineteenth, twentieth and more programmes in the next few years, even though it is so obvious that IMF programmes pay practically no attention to the removal of structural constraints to sustainable growth and development.”
Dr Yaw Baah further stated that his union was not consulted in the decision by government and so they will also not back down on any demands they have made on government even if the IMF conditionality are triggered.
“We would like to remind government that, as part of the negotiations for the 2021 and 2022 base pay, we agreed to the four and seven percent pay increases respectively on condition that government will not declare redundancies in the public service and that government will continue to employ young people into the public service.
“We would like government to note that the working people of Ghana will do whatever it takes to prevent the imposition of needless hardships on them and the good people of Ghana.”
