Anti-corruption campaigner Vitus Azeem has called for greater financial responsibility from organised labour, proposing that unions support their members financially when industrial action extends beyond a reasonable period.
He said the government must enforce existing labour laws to prevent prolonged strikes from disrupting essential services and placing additional financial pressure on employers.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr Azeem acknowledged workers’ right to demand improved conditions of service but argued that unions must also bear responsibility for sustaining members who remain away from work during extended industrial action.
He questioned the practice of continuing to pay striking workers while simultaneously recruiting temporary personnel to maintain essential services, describing the arrangement as an additional cost to employers.
“In Ghana, if you don’t go to work for 10 working days, you are declared to have vacated your post. So, when you have to go for a longer strike, beyond the time that government can pay you, then it is your association that pays you from its resources,” he said.
Mr Azeem’s proposal places emphasis on the financial obligations of unions during prolonged disputes, suggesting that associations should use their own resources to support members rather than depend indefinitely on government salaries.
He maintained that existing labour regulations should be enforced to ensure that industrial action does not continue without regard for its financial implications or the disruption it causes to public services.
His comments come amid ongoing industrial disputes in Ghana, bringing renewed attention to the need to balance workers’ rights to negotiate better conditions with the responsibility to maintain essential services and minimise the cost of prolonged strikes.
