Organised Labour has announced its intention to embark on a nationwide industrial action effective Monday, July 15, to register its displeasure over the proposed sale of a 60 percent stake in four hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Bryan Acheampong’s Rock City Hotel Limited.
This decision comes after the leadership of Organised Labour met on Friday, July 12, a day after the National Pensions Regulatory Commission (NPRA) gave the green light for the transaction to proceed.
Prior to this development, the NPRA had directed SSNIT on June 28 to suspend negotiations with Rock City over the proposed sale pending further evaluation and engagement but later rescinded that directive, allowing the transaction to proceed. The NPRA’s reversal was announced on the floor of Parliament by Pensions Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
“I can tell you on authority that NPRA has since indicated that they have seen the processes, and they think that SSNIT can go ahead,” the Pensions Minister informed Parliament.
However, in a press statement undersigned by the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, Dr. Yaw Baah, and other executives, the Union is charging all public sector workers not to go to work, effective Monday, July 15, 2024, as they reiterate their demand that SSNIT immediately terminate the process of hotel sales.
Dr. Baah expressed deep concerns over NPRA’s decision to approve what he described as a flawed deal, emphasizing that the sale of SSNIT shares in the four hotels is not in the best interest of the country.
“We find it extremely difficult to understand how and why NPRA will turn around to approve such a flawed deal …and so we would like to reiterate that the sale of SSNIT shares in the four hotels is not in the best interest of the country, and we therefore demand that SSNIT terminates the deal immediately.”
He called for a nationwide strike, saying, “From Monday, July 15, 2024, all workers in Ghana must not go to work until SSNIT publicly announces the termination of the processes to sell its shares in the hotels.
Read below the full statement by the Union:
