Lean in

'Sometimes people fail to negotiate because they do not recognise that they are in a negotiation situation.' Ashesi University in Berekuso, one of our finest institutions, used to (I hope they still do), run a mandatory course for first year students in Conflict Resolution. The fifth edition of Essentials of Negotiation was required reading. Bless them.

The leadership of the Forum for the Public Sector Registered Pension Scheme - their membership include: teachers; civil servants; local government staff; nurses; midwives, doctors; pharmacists; and staff of the judicial services - has issued a September 29, 2017 fatwa. They will go on an indefinite strike if their employer, the Government of Ghana (GoG), does not transfer without further delay, all of their withheld pensions to their fund managers. Preponing the date for a strike is a rigid public commitment, it escalates conflict. Someone must win.

Statutory obligations

In February, 2016, the Forum certainly thought it had won. They believed they had secured an iron clad out-of-court settlement for the GoG to honour its statutory obligations. The National Pensions Act, 2008, requires government to transfer 13.5 per cent of each employee's monthly income to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT); and a further five per cent to the mandatory second tier pension plan. They were wrong. As of December 31st, 2016, just before we went to the polls, the outstanding balance owed to the National Pension Regulatory Authority was GH¢285,030,871. Roughly, a mere $70 million, less than we paid for a non- functioning IT system at SSNIT. After all.

Investments and pensions are at stake. It matters little in law, that the administration that shortchanged the Forum have been voted out of office. Some have switched seats and sit loudly on the other side of the House, an amusing few hold regular press conferences to expand and expound on anything other than take responsibility, for the IT system at SSNIT. The GoG is a legal entity. That the previous team owed and dodged debts then, means we owe now.

The threat of a strike is understandable, if it happens it could cost lives, it will certainly impact economic activity and thus the resources available to fill in the heritage gap of their pensions. In the art of negotiation, will the Forum, the 'Founder' of all unions, apply the usual zero sum distributive 'pay me now or else' perspective, or will the leadership approach this time, with an integrated negotiation to create value?

It is simple. Self-interest is a compelling motivation. The Forum counts millions of tax paying voting Ghanaians as it members. From the ongoing attempts to retrieve GH¢52 million from Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyoeme; investigations into expenditure at the Electoral Commission; through to the inquiry into the award of up to GH¢3.5 billion of contracts for ghost roads at Cocoa Board. Via the probe of the Josprong Group's contracts with the Ministry of Local Government and directly with some assemblies; and now, the 'new' Euro2.4 million payment for 30 ambulances, fitted apparently with kitchen shelving instead of emergency equipment.... drip drip drip. There goes your pension money.
A negotiator who chooses to see a long-term relationship where both parties can gain or lose, equally, might help to divide to conquer.

Free SHS

Try engaging. Make sure the free SHS implementation goes well - my son does not benefit, your children may not, there will be significant hits to the budget if this doesn't work. Same for the new E-national ID card system. If there is no money to fund current expenditure, repayment of old debts, even with the threat of three per cent penalty for each month the GoG has been in default, might take a while.
Own the Auditor General and demand to know the status, weekly, of those Disallow and Surcharge certificates. Own EOCO and the Ghana Police Service in their multiple investigations, a monthly update from them should be helpful. Lean in to the Ministry of Finance, every pesewa retrieved, collected, could potentially go where it rightfully should, your pension plan.

Lean in very closely on every single Member of Parliament, for every day that they sit in that House for every statement they do not make, every delay they laugh off in establishing a fit for purpose truly independent Office of the Special Prosecutor and enacting a forward looking Right to Information Act. Remember that your membership owns them, literally.

Keep a growing list of who is who and urge your members to apply same at every opportunity in selecting candidates for unit/district/municipal/by election/council of state/ house of chiefs/house of queen mothers/ legislative and presidential elections.

Parliament returns from recess shortly. If the Bill appears before them, the Forum could take careful note and remind themselves, often, of who voted in favour for another public holiday we do not need. Ahead of that impending travesty, I wish you all a happy September 21st, we will be taking yet another day off. If the general strike called by the Forum takes place on September 29th, there will be even more downtime in Ghana.