Closure of public services imminent as Organised Labour declare strike over SSNIT hotels deal

Barely 24 hours after  Employment and Labour Relations Minister Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, announced NPRA’s approval of SSNIT hotels sale, Organised Labour has declared a nationwide strike, effective Monday, July 15.

The leadership of the Trades Union Congress, the Ghana Federation of Labour, and the Forum of Public Sector Workers, after an emergency meeting on Friday, July 12, resolved that they are still against the intended sale of 60% of SSNIT shares in hotels to Rock City Hotel.

In a joint statement, the labour groups expressed their surprise about the u-turn after the National Pensions Regulatory Authority disapproved of the sale on June 28.

“We recall that on 28th June 2024, the Board of NPRA issued a directive to suspend the negotiation with Rock City Hotel. We therefore find it extremely difficult to understand how and why NPRA would turn around and approve such a flawed deal two weeks after the directive,” the statement said.

Organised Labour emphasised that it remains opposed to the transaction, demanding its immediate cancellation.

“Organised Labour will like to reiterate its well-known position that the proposed sale of SSNIT shares in the 4 hotels is not in the best interest of Ghanaian workers.”

“We therefore demand that SSNIT terminates the process immediately.”

The statement further asked all workers to stay off work until SSNIT publicly announced the termination of the transaction.

Subsequent to the decision of the leadership of Organised Labour, various individual associations, including the Ghana Medical Association, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, the Judicial Service Staff Association, and Teacher Unions have all issued statements backing the action of Organised Labour.