Govt, Organised Labour must sing from same hymn book

Some development theorists posit that the well-being of the people cannot be judged by mere statistics, figures and physical structures.

They postulate that the best way to assess the standard of living of the people is to measure their access to basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing.

In some jurisdictions, the government introduces safety nets, perhaps the equivalent of the lifeline for utility tariffs introduced by our government to cushion low income earners against the effects of the upward adjustment in power and water tariffs.

It is to avoid the situation where ordinary people do not have access to basic needs that in most jurisdictions, especially in socialist states, the governments provide for a subsidised regime to ameliorate the suffering of the vulnerable.

Even in the so-called capitalist states, the governments now recognise that there are vulnerable people in the system, for which reason they run a welfare state in order to reduce the suffocating effects of the free market forces on the poor.

Interventions to cushion the effects of the market on the people include unemployment benefits, social housing, child maintenance allowance and health insurance.

Since the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced the upward adjustment in utility tariffs last year, followed by the passage of the Energy Sector Levies Act, resulting in a 27 per cent hike in fuel prices, the public has been up in arms with the authorities.

The hikes have compelled workers, under the aegis of Organised Labour, to bare their teeth at the government for what they describe as insensitivity on the part of the leaders of the land.

Organised Labour came out with a road map that has culminated in demonstrations throughout the country.

The government, mindful of the effects of the road map on the economy, met representatives of Organised Labour to iron out the issues.

At last Wednesday’s meeting, they made progress by the government agreeing to some reduction in power tariffs.

We have said on many occasions that the best way to achieve consensus in negotiations is for parties not to go into such mediations with entrenched positions.

As to whether the levels of reduction meet the expectations of working people and consumers, we are not in a position to determine that now.

However, the Daily Graphic is worried that although the government and Organised Labour reached a deal over electricity tariffs, the two groups do not appear to be singing from the same hymn book as far as the levies are concerned.

Although Mr Haruna Iddrissu, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, who led the government team, insists that any tampering with the Energy Sector Levies Act will affect the economy, Mr Kofi Asamoah, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), says, “We will continue engagement on the other outstanding issues like water and the levies.”

In reiterating the importance of dialogue in situations like the one that confronts the country presently, we urge the parties to remain at table and jaw-jaw until all the issues have been resolved amicably.

The Daily Graphic thinks that anything to the contrary is objectionable, as it will lead to turmoil on the industrial front.