When two elephants fight...

Our economy is fragile and this is why everybody should be measured in his or her actions in the country’s development process.

It is within our rights to demand our pound of flesh, but at what price?

The strike by the 12 labour unions has taken a toll on the activities of schools, hospitals and public offices.

The unions are fighting for what their leaders say border on life and death because their pension deductions are their savings for life after work.

According to them, the government has no mandate to determine who manages workers’ pension funds, but the government insists that as the employer, it does not want to put the funds at risk.

So far, the parties have not been able to resolve the matter amicably, compelling the government to proceed to court. 

The workers, on the other hand, have stated they are waiting for the government in court. 

The Daily Graphic wonders whether there will be a winner in this fight at the end of the day because as the strike proceeds, government business has virtually ground to a halt.

Labour matters are not resolved amicably when the parties in dispute take entrenched positions, as management and employees are not supposed to be adversaries.

The two parties cannot continue to disagree vehemently over how the issues should be managed, but if the ultimate is to build society, then the parties should not find it difficult to agree to disagree.

It is, therefore, important for the two to remain at the negotiation table with the view to finding solutions to the impasse.

Reports from across the country to the effect that the strike is having a toll on the educational and health sectors are very disturbing.

Education is the bedrock of the country’s development and anything that has the potential to jeopardise the future of schoolchildren must be avoided. 

For our medical doctors, whose work constitutes part of the essential services, their strike can be even more devastating. 

Although doctors still visit their workplaces, they deal with only emergency cases and refuse to attend to routine and non-urgent appointments and consultations.

We believe nobody, including the doctors, will be happy with taking an action that inconveniences patients and puts precious lives at risk. After all, doctors took the Hippocratic Oath, which should be their guiding principle.

The Daily Graphic makes a passionate plea to the government and the labour unions to resolve the matter as soon as possible in order to not derail economic progress.

We think independent leaders in our society, such as chiefs and men of God, should intervene to reconcile the differences in the interest of the public good.