Ghanaian workers among Africa’s least paid

The Head of the Policy and Research Department of the Trades Union Congress, Dr Yaw Baah says even though Ghana is not the poorest country in Africa, the salaries of public sector workers is among the lowest on the Continent.

Dr Baah says it is in line with improving that situation that the TUC supported the idea of the Fair Wage Commission (FWC) that the Government had embarked upon, and advised members of the Union to cooperate with the various organisations that had been commissioned to evaluate the work of the various workers.

He made the observation at a general meeting of the New Juaben Municipal Council of Labour at Koforidua.

He said the TUC was urging the Government to adopt a living wage policy by the end of the work of the FWC.

Dr Baah said under the current minimum wage policy, the salary of only the worker was considered in computing salaries, but under the living wage policy, wages of employees would be based on the daily requirement of two spouses and two children.

He called on the Government to come out with a law to protect the dumping of foreign goods into the country, some of which were unwholesome.

Dr. Baah also called on workers to support the implementation of the Labour Law.

He said it was the view of the TUC that, though the law on strike was not a perfect one, the whole Labour Law protects workers’ interest more than employers.

Dr Baah advised workers to go through all the necessary processes before embarking on any strike action, explaining that under the new Labour Law, striking workers could be called back to work after seven days.

The Secretary General of TUC, Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwa appealed to District Councils of Labour to hold regular meetings to discuss issues affecting them and when necessary to make public statements on Government policies.

He explained that when workers comment on Government policies publicly, it would enable the National Executive of the TUC to support it, so that it would not be considered as the opinion of some few leaders but as the collation of views of workers in the country.

Source:
GNA

I am not aware - Bartels

“I am not aware that Government has ever discussed this issue before or for Government to have taken a decision on the conversion of the Vice-President for Prime Minister Position. It is definitely not from Government as far as I am aware.” The above statement came from Information Minister Kwamena Bartels in response to The Statesman’s exclusive story on Monday.

It was reported that President John Agyekum Kufuor intends to propose a constitutional amendment abolishing the position of Vice President, and creating that of a Prime Minister in its place, who would be appointed by the President a la the French government system.

“I’m not aware that government has ever discussed and taken a decision on it. I’m not aware that the President has ever uttered those words, I’ve never heard it,” Mr. Bartels told an Accra based radio station. “I’m not in a position to vouch for The Statesman’s credibility in this matter,” he said, adding, “I have repeatedly said that I am not aware that Government has ever discussed this in Cabinet, I’m not aware that the President has ever mentioned an issue of this nature.”

But responding to the Minister’s comments last night on the same radio station, the editor-in-chief of The Statesman insisted on the credibility of the story, adding that it was instructive that the Minister, the official Government Spokesperson, fell short of saying categorically that the proposal for that constitutional amendment had never been the intention of the President.

Asare Otchere-Darko conceded that the matter may not have come before Cabinet; “Indeed, our story never made any such claim,” he told Joy. But, he went on to further revel that as late as last week, he was reliably informed that it was the intention of the President to introduce the proposal but only after the New Patriotic Party’s flag-bearership race was out of the way. The ruling party ins expected to elect its next presidential candidate in December.“We stand by our story,” he insisted.

Sources close to the President are cited as saying the proposed change, which would require a national referendum to remove the entrenched constitutional position, should have been mooted in 2005 but was shelved because the timing was inappropriate.

Source:
The Statesman

"Iron lady" is no more


Hawa Yakubu, the second vice chairperson of the New Patriotic Party, is reported dead in London. She is believed to have been in ill-health for sometime, and reportedly died yesterday morning at home where she was recuperation after undergoing treatment in a South African hospital.
The "Iron Lady", as she was affectionately called, was before her election as second vice-chairperson of the NPP, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, a seat she lost to Mahama Ayariga of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Hawa Yakubu was born in Tarkwa in 1948, to Mr. Yakubu Awiraba and Hajia Azore, both from Pusiga in the Bawku District.

On the death of her father, Hawa was torn between continuing her education and getting married in obedience to the wishes of her uncles, but her mother was steadfast and insisted that she attained the highest on the education ladder. Through determination and zeal, Hawa completed Navrongo Secondary School and pursued a catering course at the Accra Polytechnic after which she returned to her alma mater as matron.

Her political career started at an early age when in her twenties, she was elected unopposed to serve on the local council. She served as a member of the Constituent Assembly that wrote the 1979 constitution, being the youngest member.

After the events of the December 31, 1981, military coup, Hawa took refuge in London with her two sons, Felix and Derek, a situation which led to the collapse of her first marriage. This was after her son, Felix had fallen from a storey building and died.

She re-married and had two girls, Amanda and Dieudonee. After a long spell in Britain and Nigeria, Hawa returned to Ghana in 1991 and contested the 1992 elections as an independent candidate and won in the Bawku Central, launching her effectively into the forefront as a role model for women, and a distinct voice in the first Parliament of the fourth Republic which was made up of mainly NDC members.

As a strong member of the opposition in the minority, she became the voice of the voiceless, and emerged an icon in that Parliament. Her role in Parliament made her a much sought-for person, culminating in invitations worldwide to participate in conferences on various subjects. The active role she played in connection with her pet subjects of women’s empowerment, children’s rights, campaign against female genital mutilation, good governance and conflict resolution saw her being elected to serve on many international committees. She was Executive Committee Member of Parliamentarians for Global Action and Coordinating Committees of the Inter Parliamentary Union.

Hawa Yakubu was appointed Minister of Tourism in 2001 and 2002. Until she lost the election in 2004, she was one of Ghana’s representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament, in Abuja, Nigeria. News of her death has been received with such shock and disbelief, that people were reluctant to confirm it.

"It is a sad day for Ghana; she will be greatly missed," said a disconsolate admirer.


Source:
Ghanaian Times