General Secretary of the University of Ghana’s University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UG-UTAG) says government’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund to limit public sector wage increment and increase productivity will not succeed.
Professor Ransford Gyampo’s reason is that the conditionality is merely another measure by government to impose austerity measures on labour while the political class continues to enjoy their largesse.
He noted that calls for government to directly link wage increments to productivity, while a sane argument, should apply across board and not only on labour.
He explained that Ghana’s political class has done little to nothing to deserve the fat benefits they enjoy from their positions of power, thus same austerity measure should be inflicted on them.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Prof. Gyampo rejected the conditionality insisting that it is unfair to organised labour.
“I don’t accept that. Why should they always be targeting labour? It is true, I mean, in every sane economy, compensation should be linked to productivity. But if that is the case, then it should be across board. The politicians, what do they do to earn the amounts of salaries and emoluments and allowances that they get? Can you compare their productivity, what they do, to the productivity of the ordinary labour? I mean, if we want to do that then let it be across board.
“I see a party communicator who just got done with school, hasn’t worked before and his first pay check was given to him or her simply because he joined a political party in the lead-up to electioneering campaign and fought for the party, the party won and so he’s given a V8, he draws free fuel, he’s been given a mansion, he’s enjoying huge allowances and fat salaries and the next two-three years he’s building huge mansion at the expense of the people.
“What do they do to get themselves entitled to those allowances and incentives and conditions of services salaries? Is it productivity? So we reward people who do nothing and get a lot of resources in terms of salary, and then those who toil, those who through their toil we’ve been able to finance the enjoyment and entertainment and the largesse and luxuries that they enjoy, they always want to continue to inflict austerity measures on them.
“I mean, that is not fair. You see, that’s how come this particular conditionality in my view will not fly.”
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