Salary-freeze: “Bear with us”- Akufo-Addo begs public sector workers

The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked the public sector workers to bear with government on its decision to halt salary increase to public sector workers for the next few years.

This statement by the President comes after the Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Samuel Nii Noi Ashong, revealed that government cannot offer huge salary increases to public sector workers for the next few years.

“If you look at the budget, COVID-19 is not expected to abate until the end of 2023 and we’re all looking to be tightening our belts for a while and people should not be expecting huge wage increases in the course of the next few years. This is because we don’t have money to pay for it”, he added.

Commenting on the issue during the 11th Quadrennial Delegates’ Congress of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, 23 March 2021,  Akufo-Addo noted that although the freeze is not permanent, he would appeal to all Ghanaians, including organised labour, to assist the government in this endeavour to have rebuild our public finances and economy.

According to the President,COVID-19 resulted in a drastic slowdown in economic activity and a huge drop in domestic revenue combined with the sharp hike in COVID-19-related expenditure.

“I, therefore, urge all Ghanaian workers, to bear with the government in these unusual and rather challenging times. I’m confident that sooner, rather than later, and together we can create the happy, progressive and prosperous nation we all desire…COVID-19 resulted in a drastic slowdown in economic activity and a huge drop in domestic revenue combined with the sharp and [unparalleled] hike in COVID-19-related expenditure”,  Akufo-Addo said.

The 11th quadrennial delegates’ congress of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) was held under the theme:  ’75 years of TUC: Building a stronger union in a challenging world of work’.