The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Angel Carbonu, says until the association receives an official communique to confirm the abrogation of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) sale of 60% stake in four of its hotels, it would not call off its intended strike.
NAGRAT and other organised labour had marked July 15 as the start date of industrial action after the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) gave approval to SSNIT to proceed with its controversial plan to offload its hotels.
According to the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, the Union does not understand why the NPRA would allow SSNIT to proceed with the deal without further engagement after it initially ordered SSNIT to halt the procedure.
Bryan Acheampong's Rock City Hotel had withdrawn its bid to buy the hotels. The hotel management said it not appreciate the negative publicity it has attracted since the sale.
Subsequently, a statement from SSNIT issued just before midnight of Friday, July 12, indicated the SSNIT had halted its intended sale to Ghana's Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong's hotel.
The brief statement signed by the Board Chair of SSNIT, Elizabeth Ohene, who had previously defended the deal, said the process has been terminated.
SSNIT assured pensioners, contributors and the public of "its commitment to managing the affairs of the Trust prudently for the sustainability of the pension scheme."
But the NAGRAT president said these developments were not reason enough to end its action.
According to him, in the era of technological advancement, anyone could have fabricated the letter, and until they received an official communique, they would not call off their strike.
Speaking on JoyNew’s Newsfile, he said “ We are in a technological age and people are capable of doing anything with technology. We want don’t want to take a decision that will [embarrass us] on Monday morning.
“We want to get surety that it is the SSNIT board headed by Elizabeth Ohene who actually took the decision ad communicated same the public.”
Mr. Carbonu said after they receive an official communique from SSNIT, leadership of NAGRAT will issue a statement on the decision.
He reiterated that they wanted SSNIT to abrogate the sale; hence, when this is done, the teachers union will issue a statement.
On the same show, the president of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, said the association will not call off its strike because SSNIT does not appear to take their concerns seriously.
She stressed that GRNMA went through so many steps to decide to embark on the industrial action; therefore, SSNIT churning out a message without directing it to her outfit and other organised labour unions will not change their stance.
Madam Ofori-Ampofo said the least SSNIT could have done was to call a press conference, issue a letter, or put its letter on a SSNIT letterhead rather than the approach adopted. In this regard she said the strike will still be effective on July 15.
Credit: Connielove Mawutornyo Dzodzegbe