Provide stimulus packages to businesses, households- TUC urges govt

Organised Labour has urged the government to providemore stimulus packages for businesses and households as well assome tax relief for workers, to help them mitigate the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Dr Yaw Baah,this should be part of a comprehensive economic response strategy that the government should develop and implement to deal with the pandemic.

“The GH₵600 million announced by the President is a good start but more support is needed for businesses,” he said at the virtual commemoration of this year’s International Labour Day(May Day).

International Labour Day is celebrated globally every May 1 to acknowledge the contribution of workers to national development and advocate the need for better conditions of service.

Due to the COVID-19, this year’scelebration was telecast live from GTV studios in Accra on the theme, ‘COVID-19 in Ghana; impact on employment and working conditions.’

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the special guest. Also present were Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Awuah and some leaders of labour unions.

Unlike the usual parades during which workers stood close to each other amidst singing and hoisting of placards, the less than 25 workers who were at the  virtual event wore face masks, did not have placards  and were seated about two metres away from each other. The pandemic had muted the once energetic celebration.

According to Dr Baah, the government should arrange with commercial banks to allow businesses to access credit facilities at flexible conditions to enable them support their ventures.

In order to avoid a serious supply chain distribution in the country, he recommended that government should identify and support local enterprises that would produce and feed industries.

He stated that the Ghana Employers Association had already submitted a proposal which contains the recommendations, to the Ministry of Finance and were awaiting response and further action.

Dr Baah disclosed that some information from an ongoing research by the Labour Research and policy institute of TUC, to determine the economic impact of the pandemic, indicated a devastation across various industries.

“It has been just two months since the country recorded its first case of coronavirus, but the devastation it has caused to our economic and social, lives  will take years to restore,” he said.

Some business, he said, had lost revenue and raw materials because of the border closure; there had been layoff of contract workers, slashing of salaries, inability to pay social security and repayment of loans.

The Secretary General, therefore, called on all stakeholders to play their respective roles to enable the country win the fight and come out of the woods, in no time.

He reminded workers and employers of the need to adhere to all hygiene protocols and other measures announced by the government to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

BY JONATHAN DONKOR