Nuamah-Donkor asks workers not to adopt
militant tactics
NPP launches 'operation reach the
communities'
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 May 2000
Rain and still winds stole their way into this
year's May Day celebration but did not deter a President who was billed to take
his last salute from Ghanaian workers to do just that.
President Jerry John Rawlings did not only
welcome the rain describing it as a blessing but also stood in it uncovered and
endured workers' screams of frustration arising from the present economic
hardships.
Security agents, who had built a barricade to
keep the workers at bay, did not have much to do since the hard hiting
raindrops took care of them.
The President had to invite hesitant workers to
march, assuring them that he will stay to take the salute.
Some workers were clad in mourning cloth while
others held placards, some of which read, "Don't increase the VAT
rate," "Stop lying to workers."
There was fun, humour and agitation for higher
salary and better delivery of social services.
A worker displayed a four-metre long bathroom
sandals, others had long and big pipes, but the spectators would for a long
time remember the Cocobod man, who wore a necklace made up of a matured cocoa
pod. His fat belly was clearly visible because his attire was drenched.
President Rawlings, addressing the workers in
his wet cloth deplored their militant attitude saying: "Freedom is
beautiful, but it should not lead to abdication of your responsibilities.
GRi../
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 02 May 2000
Mr Samuel Nuamah-Donkor, Ashanti
Regional Minister, on Monday called on
workers not to adopt excessive
militant tactics to press for what they consider
to be their rights and
entitlements.
This approach, he said, undoubtedly
inflict irreparable damage on the national economy.
Mr Nuamah-Donkor was addressing a
cross-section of workers at the 2000 May Day anniversary parade at the Jackson
Park in Kumasi.
The theme for the celebration is
"Securing workers dignity in the 21st century: The role of the Trade
Union".
On May Day, some workers
"pledge solidarity with their hardworking and dedicated colleagues but as
soon as the day passes they revert to their usual tricks of late attendance,
absenteeism, lotto working and poor work ethics", he said.
The Regional Minister expressed the
hope that in the "21st century, the 'Aban' attitude, which has for years
be-devilled the public services would be replaced by a more people friendly
attitude typified by a positive partnership between public servants and the
public at large".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 May 2000
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the
New Patriotic Party on Monday
congratulated workers on the occasion of May
day in separate statements issued in Accra.
"A great deal can be achieved if we make
work places a refuge of peace and tranquility, a place of repose and
re-invigoration," the NDC said.
The message signed by the NDC Press Secretary,
Mr. Vincent Asiseh, said the would wish to remind workers that while their
efforts have played the biggest role in
Ghana's rising fortunes, much still remains to
be done.
The NDC said the occasion calls for much joy
because it is the efforts of workers, whether entrepreneurs, white or
blue-collar workers, that have enabled Ghana to turn the economic depression of
the 1970s and early 1980s into the "tremendous economic revival of the
1990s and indeed, the new millennium."
It said it is in recognition of these
contributions that the party has made the development of the people the
cornerstone of its economic, social and political philosophy.
"We trust that May Day will be an
opportunity to review the experiences of the past year, in relation to higher
values and the common goal of the nation, an opportunity to gain inspiration
for better performance in the year ahead."
On its part, the NPP urged Ghanaian workers to
reflect on the state of the nation and reassess their roles accordingly.
The release signed by the Party's Chairman, Mr.
S. A. Odoi-Sykes in Accra to congratulate workers on this year's May Day
celebrations, urged workers to participate more actively in the reconstruction
of the nation.
"As Ghanaian workers have always played a
key role in the nation's struggle for justice and fairness, the NPP expects
that they will play a leading role in bringing about a change for the better
for Ghanaians in the forthcoming December Presidential and Parliamentary
elections."
The release said it regretted that, the Day
being the first in the millennium could not be celebrated in 'a worthy
fashion', due to the "harsh economic conditions manifested in widespread
poverty, inequitable health and educational systems, harrowing and
ever-increasing unemployment".
The NPP reaffirmed their faith in workers and
said it hoped the new millennium would see them stronger in their effort to
build a vibrant working class organisation.
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Mr. Christian Appiah Adjei, Secretary-General
of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), on Monday observed that the new Labour Act
aimed at bringing labour matters into modern development trends is seeking to
get rid of trade unions.
He explained during a May Day rally that the
new Act is scraping all the gains the unions have struggled for and achieved
over the years.
The TUC Secretary-General expressed the hope
that comments and suggestions submitted to the Ministry of Employment and
Social Welfare with regard to the new law would be taken into consideration to
avoid hostile, unfriendly and worse industrial relations.
Mr. Adjei said the recent astronomical
increases in prices of petroleum products, depreciation of the cedi and
galloping inflation have become the lot of Ghanaian workers.
He said the "survival of the fittest"
approach to economic reforms, which separates economic and human development
can never solve the problems of the country.
Mr. Adjei called on the government to take a
critical look at its economic policies and adopt new ones that de-emphasise
increased material output as an end in itself.
The new policies should focus on human
development to enhance capabilities and improve the lot of workers, the
unemployed, handicapped, women, children and
the elderly.
He stressed the need for the government to
convene another National Economic Forum as contained in this year's budget
statement and called for the introduction of a special unemployment benefit
scheme for those, who lose their jobs after contributing to the Social Security
and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) fund.
Mr. Adjei also advocated an increase in the
number of workers' representation on the SSNIT Board to allow workers to have a
bigger say in the management of the fund.
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Dalon, (Northern Region) 02 May 2000
A presidential aspirant of the Convention
Peoples Party (CPP) said on Sunday that the nomination of Vice-President
Professor John Evans Atta Mills as the presidential candidate of the National
Democratic Congress (NDC) consolidates multi-party politics and democracy
within the parties.
Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama was commenting on the
election of Prof. Mills in an interview with the GNA after addressing a party
rally at Dalun in the Tolon-Kumbungu District.
"I wish Professor Mills well in his
political career but I hope he will be the first to congratulate the CPP in its
inevitable victory in this year's general election", Alhaji Mahama
remarked.
Alhaji Mahama assured supporters of the CPP
that the party would reactivate plans by President Kwame Nkrumah to construct
good roads to link the area with other parts of the Northern region as well as
the Upper East and Upper West regions.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 May 2000
President Jerry John Rawlings on
Monday assured workers that the government is committed to raising the living
standards of all despite the current economic difficulties.
He said, his government has not
abandoned them and that it is currently reviewing levels of remuneration of
workers through the Central Management Board, expressing the hope that the
labour force will match up with increased productivity in order to accelerate
development.
President Rawlings, who was
addressing hundreds of workers in pouring rain at the Independence Square in
Accra to mark this year's May Day celebrations, said there is the need to build
confidence in the future of the country's economy through discipline and good
work ethics.
He said critical periods, such as
the current slide in the economy, demand meaningful dialogue towards the
resolution of the issues rather than sectoral militancy.
"It is important that we come
to terms with the realities that confront our nation as it battles to cope with
the worsening terms of trade induced by wide fluctuations in the prices of both
our export commodities and the commodities we import."
Reacting to criticisms of the
effects of the Structural Adjustment Programme on workers, President Rawlings
said while he took note of those concerns, "the stark truth is that Ghana
could not have survived and come this far had we not embarked on the
restructuring of the economy."
He explained that whereas over 20
years ago, 70 per cent of the national revenue was from the cocoa sector, it
now contributes only 30 per cent with non-traditional commodities and services
making up for the rest.
"Over 20 years ago, the
Ghanaian cocoa farmer was paid only 25 per cent of the world market price of
the commodity but today that same cocoa farmer is paid about 65 per cent of the
world market price". This, he said, has offered a boost to the rural
economy.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 02 May 2000
Workers in the Eastern region have called on
the government to review its economic policies, as a matter of urgency, to give
greater attention to problems facing agriculture, the cocoa sector and
manufacturing industries.
They noted that since the introduction of the
trade liberalisation policy, trade and commerce instead of production and
industrialisation, have dominated the economic base.
In a six-point resolution at a forum held at
Koforidua on Friday, as part of the activities to mark "May Day", the
workers lamented that the current economic policies have worsened the plight of
the worker and brought about massive retrenchment of labour, high cost of
living and unemployment.
The resolution expressed concern about the free
fall of the cedi against major international currencies and called for
sustainable measures to check the trend and regulate the outflow of the
convertible currencies.
On the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS),
the forum noted that the national incomes policy has woefully failed to improve
the plight of workers and called for a realistic salary structure to reflect
the present living conditions.
On the Value Added Tax (VAT), the workers
claimed that the present 10 per cent rate has led to price increases and said
that any attempt to increase it further would worsen the plight of Ghanaians.
They, therefore, appealed to President Rawlings
to withhold his presidential assent to the VAT Bill.
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Dodowa (Greater Accra) 02 May 2000
The Greater Accra Constituency of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday launched its outreach programme team, tasked
to mobilise support for it in this year's general election.
The programme, code-named "Operation Reach
the Communities in their Hamlets", is also to enable the party to interact
with, educate and sensitise six Ewe and Dangme communities in the region on the
political and economic situation prevailing in the country.
Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, NPP National
Campaign Manager, called on the team to debunk the anti-alien and anti-Ewe
smear campaign by opponents against the NPP.
He asked the team to try hard to build the
peoples’ confidence in the party by letting them know that the NPP does not
hate any tribe or ethnic group.
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey stressed that the party
does not believe in promises but rather in the development of human resources
that abound in the country. On living conditions, he said: "You are the
better judges, taking into consideration your pay packet, health delivery,
stomach and things around you," he stated.
M.r Adjowerh-Nortey Michael Teye, NPP
parliamentary candidate for Shai Osu Doku, said the people have been neglected
for far too long and it is now time for them to critically weigh the situation
and vote massively for the NPP for positive development.
Torgbui Hutor Akitse II, Chief of Hunyem, and
Asafoatse Teye Agblah IV of Kakanya and elders of the town jointly thanked the
executives of the party for educating them and promised to rally behind them.
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