Professor Ransford Gyampo has suggested that labor unions accepted the 10% salary increment largely because of President John Dramani Mahama’s personal involvement in the negotiations.
Gyampo acknowledged that the increment was inadequate but noted that the President’s presence influenced the unions’ decision on an onterview on TV3’s KeyPoints monitored by MyNewsGh
“Clearly, this [10% increment] is not good enough, it is small. The last we had 23 percent, then increased to 25. I was expecting something more,”* he admitted.
However, he pointed out that the unions may have felt compelled to accept the offer out of respect for Akufo-Addo’s direct participation in the discussions.
“But if times are difficult and this gets explained properly to labour, and the president himself coming there, then what will you do?” he questioned.
Gyampo further revealed that many workers were dissatisfied with the outcome but accepted the increment reluctantly.
“I know that my people are not too happy, but I know they were magnanimous in accepting because of the president appearing before the negotiation team,”* he stated.
