The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has backed the decision by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to lift the three-week partial lockdown of Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa.
At a meeting with the President today, at Jubilee House, the Secretary-General of TUC, Anthony Yaw Baah, said the decision was in the right direction.
He commended the President on “the excellent leadership” he has provided to save the country from “the horrible situation we are witnessing in other countries, particularly Europe and the US”, saying “the restrictions on movement have yielded some positive results, and we are all witnesses to this.”
He added: “Yesterday, you eased some of these restrictions and emphasized that some of these restrictions must be complied with strictly. We think it is the right thing to do, given the dire economic consequences of prolonged restriction.”
Effect on businesses
Describing the impact of the health crisis on employment in Ghana as “mind-boggling”, Dr Yaw Baah told the President that “businesses are collapsing in almost all the sectors of the economy, many people have already lost their jobs, and many more would have lost their jobs without the easing of these restrictions.”
“The fight of this coronavirus is a shared responsibility. We think you and your government are doing what is expected of you. It is time for us Ghanaians to do our part as individuals by observing the safety protocols that will protect us and others from this deadly virus,” he said.
The TUC boss used the opportunity to thank all health workers, security personnel, utility workers, the media, the ministries of health and information, among others, for providing all the essential services to the people of Ghana during this crisis.
“You risk your lives every day to protect the rest of us. You have made us very proud as workers’ leaders and so we pray that God blesses you abundantly.
“Mr President, that is why we appreciate the incentive package that you have put together for health workers. These workers deserve the package. The tax reliefs, the 50 per cent salary increase, will provide the incentive for them to work even more diligently as we continue this fight against the virus,” he added.
Dr Yaw Baah re-assured President Akufo-Addo that “the working people of Ghana will continue to play a role in the effort to restore growth to our economy so that businesses will flourish once again and workers can keep their jobs and those who don’t have jobs now also have jobs. Finally, they should be able to defeat not only the coronavirus but also poverty.”
