Editorial -‘COLA is Life’ seems the new Revo-Code

Four teacher unions – the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and, Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU), on Monday, July 04, 2022, declared an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to pay them a 20 per cent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

Although the strike action has been having negative effect on the smooth running of the country’s academic calendar, the teachers insist it was their rights being denied them, unrightfully, and therefore, needs to be addressed, saying, the demand was to cushion them in the wake of high inflation and increases in price of goods and services with the attendant high cost of living.

But when the iron was still too hot for government to handle, the National Association of Registered Midwives, Ghana,also joined the hybrid of calls alongside other public sector workers awoken by teachers’ call, holding out their respective knives to cut out their pound of economic flesh they think, denied them for a long time.

Great number of organised labour unions; all joined the chorus – began demanding the COLA amidst the economic hardship that has already dragged the countryalbeit, hesitantly, to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In fact, the over 27,000 public sector workforce seems shifting towards strike, saying they can no longer shoulder the burden brought upon them by the prevailing economic hardship in the country.

The Anchor views this, however, as a wake-up call for government to always remain steadfast. When we feel sad with government, especially, at the time it sits stuck at negotiating table with the IMF, at least, to drag out its own COLA from that hot oven of furnace called Bretton woods, a major labour strike was the last thing expected; although it may not be the Ghana government’s intention to get some three billion dollars only to pay for COLA, but what the IMF would be thinking listening to the COLA musical rhythms outside the windows.

Ghana is indeed hot and tough, such that, school feeding food for students and pupils have been a serious challenge; Fuel prices at their astronomical record since Ghana’s independence; food stuff prices at the open markets for homes, scares the ordinary buyers, especially, housewives, resulting in ‘chop-money’ increase demands that most often led to unnecessary domestic abuses.

That is not all; water and electricity user bills, though, became unbearable, the utilities managers are again demanding a combined 500% in approximate increase.

Even as we speak, the cost of urinating in Accra’s ‘Public Private Partnership (PPP)’ places of convenience have climbed up the economic ladder, let alone paying to discharge stomach’s burden earlier swallowed voluntarily, voluminously and voraciously; isn’t a child’s play in Ghana.

The paper also sympathizes with Ghanaian workers as it empathizes with government, because, we think these demands came too little too late, therefore, we urge human-faced and diplomacy approach.

The Anchor senses government’s own feeling of the enormity of the demands and resultant strike at this crucial time. It is in the stride we believe government has to charge, not only one ministry to attempt the gag of wailing mouths, but as many as four – the Ministers of Employment and Labour Relations, Finance, Education and National Security to reengage teacher unions and possibly others, on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

But COLA is indeed the new revolutionary code, the Anchor believes; when UK’s biggest rail strike in 30 years recently disrupts travel, PM Johnson vows to stay firm. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, under pressure to do more to help Britons facing the toughest economic hit in decades, however feared the strike would harm businesses still recovering from COVID. He later had to confusingly announce resignation as Prime Minister.

‘COLA’ is an increase in income that keeps up with the cost of living. It’s often applied to wages, salaries, and benefits. These include union agreements, executive contracts, and retiree benefits or by HR’s – extra money that some people receive from their employer, for example, because they work in an area that is very expensive, or because prices have increased: A cost of living allowance is paid to cover the additional living costs incurred by employees who are living away from home.

Source: theanchorghana