AFTER CONNIVING with leadership of the labour Unions to outwit the poor Ghanaian workers, the cunning Akufo-Addo led NPP administration has taken advantage once again to quickly increase the utility tariffs by 38.26%.
The majority of innocent workers expressed gratitude to their Union leaders for a good show at the negotiation table after the announcement of the 30% increment last week; whilst others felt extremely disappointed following the current situation and in an anticipation of hopelessness in the country following the inability of the government to salvage the situation.
The only difference between December 2022 salary and January 2023 salary is a meagre taxable 15%, with high utility tariffs 38.26% admist a higher inflation rate of over 54%.
The Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamoudu Bawumia led NPP government announced the 30% salary increment, and this week the PURC also announced increment of 29.96% and 8. 3% for water and electricity respectively.
In July 2022, government reluctantly agreed on a temporary 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to public sector workers. This was in reaction to threats of strike actions by the various labour unions amidst a skyrocketing inflation rate of over 31%. This allowance was to be paid from July to December ending, 2022. Closed to the end of 2022, most public sector workers became anxious as to what will be their fate in the new year, 2023.
The non-taxable 15% COLA which was brought to cushion the public sector workers to enable withstand the skyrocketing inflation rate and hardship, would be taken off for the 30% taxable salary increment on the base pay against the huge inflation rate of over 54% currently.
It would have been helpful if the labour unions stood their grounds on the initial proposal of 60% increment because of the increment of about 38.26% utility tariffs and the over 54% inflation rate.
This would have helped curb the current hardship these poor Ghanaian workers are facing through no fault of theirs. But at the end of the entire negotiation, both parties concluded to increase the base pay by 30%, beginning January ending.
But the question is, does this decision add any value to the working conditions of the already impoverished Ghanaian worker? The answer is a big NO. Scraping the non-taxable 15% COLA and replacing it with a 30% taxable income and now increasing utility tariffs by 38.26% is like “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
