Public sector workers strike Monday, demand halt to SSNIT hotel sales
Public sector workers will, from Monday, July 15, commence an indefinite strike to protest against plans by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to sell 60 per cent of its stake in four hotels.
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Organised labour declared the industrial action yesterday after an emergency meeting among the unions at the Hall of Trade Unions in Accra.
The Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, read the statement announcing the strike at a press conference after the emergency meeting.
Dr Baah stated that the strike would be in force until SSNIT immediately “terminates the process to sell 60 per cent of its shares in Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort and Ridge Royal Hotel”.
According to the TUC Secretary-General, the move by SSNIT was “not in the best interest of Ghanaian workers”.
“We, therefore, demand that SSNIT terminates the process immediately.
“From Monday, 15th July, 2024, all workers in Ghana must not go to work until SSNIT publicly announces the termination of the process for the sale of its shares in the hotel,” the TUC stated.
The statement was signed by Dr Baah, the Chairman of the Forum of Public Sector Workers, Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Kenneth Koomson.
However, as of the time of going to press, Rock City had withdrawn its bid.
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NPRA green light
The industrial action by Organised Labour was precipitated by an approval of the sale of the shares by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).
Last Thursday, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, told Parliament that the NPRA had given the green light after SSNIT had furnished the authority with all the needed information relating to the sale of the hotels.
“Yes, it is true that the NPRA came up with a directive; it said it needed to be furnished with all information relating to the sale of the hotels, which SSNIT has since done,” he said.
Responding to an urgent question on the floor of Parliament yesterday, Mr Awuah said the approval came after the NPRA, which was the regulator within the field, had actually certified that they had seen all documentation and processes, and that they “think they are good to go”.
“So, as a minister, I can fairly tell you on authority that NPRA has since indicated that it has seen the processes, and thinks that SSNIT can go ahead with the sale,” the minister said.
The minister disclosed this when he responded to a question from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who started the crusade against the sale of SSNIT’s 60 per cent stake in the hotels to Rock City Hotels Ltd, owned solely by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong.
Turn around
However, Dr Baah said Organised Labour had consistently maintained its stance against the sale of the shares by SSNIT, and therefore, it was hard for it to comprehend the sudden change by the NPRA.
The NPRA on June 28, this year, instructed SSNIT to put the deal on hold until it had furnished it with all relevant documentation for it to satisfy itself with the propriety of the deal.
Attempts to speak to the NPRA have proved futile since last Thursday.
“We recall that on June 28th, 2024, the Board of the NPRA issued a directive to suspend the negotiation with Rock City Hotel Limited”.
“We, therefore, find it extremely difficult to understand how and why NPRA would turn around to approve such a flawed deal two weeks after the directive,” Dr Baah said.
Unions give details
Following the declaration of the indefinite industrial action by Organised Labour, some affiliate unions of Organised Labour have issued statements directing their members to strictly adhere to the strike.
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They include the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), the Teacher Unions, which include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, the National Association of Graduate
Teachers and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU).
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) in a statement, gave details about the strike.
Pursuant to the timelines provided by the GMA, it would withdraw outpatient department (OPD) services on Wednesday, July 17, emergency services on Sunday, July 21 and total services on Monday, July 22.
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Protest
Mr Ablakwa, together with Organised Labour and other stakeholders, had questioned the process that led to the selection of Rock City Hotel as the viable entity to purchase the said hotels.
The MP raised the issue of conflict of interest in the transaction but the Minister of Food and Agriculture whose hotel won the bid to acquire the hotels, insisted he did no wrong.
Mr Ablakwa led a demonstration against the sale and also filed a petition with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for an investigation into the process, aiming to halt the sale and bring attention to what he describes as “state capture”.
However, Dr Acheampong has said that although he owned Rock City Hotel, he did not involve himself in the day-to-day business of the company.
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He, therefore, denied any wrongdoing, saying “there is no breach”.
No foul play
SSNIT has also denied any foul play in its decision to sell 60 per cent stake in its hotels to Rock City Hotel, saying it went through a thorough procurement process, including advertisements in national dailies and an international magazine to invite bids.
The Trust explained over the past days that the strategy to partner an investor to raise capital to invest in the hotels and also assist in their management started as far back as 2018 through an International Competitive Tendering (ICT) process as prescribed by the Public Procurement Act (PPA).
Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh