15% COLA: Government is Smarter than Labour Unions [Article]

15% COLA: Government is Smarter than Labour Unions [Article]-By Abukari Abdul Majeed

The government, through the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and the Minister of Finance, reached an agreement with Organized Labour this evening to provide 15% of the base pay to all public sector workers in the country to ease the tension and turmoil on the labour front in the country.

This move is seen as a win-win for both labour and government but a careful study of the agreement shows that the government has been smarter than the Labour Unions.

With inflation hovering around 29.8% as of June 2022, one would have thought that labour would have stood with the 20% COLA but the government knows very well that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) will be coming out with new tariffs come tomorrow, Friday, 15th July 2022, the government succumbed to Organized Labours reduced percentage of 15% before the announcement by the PURC-that is the reason why the government ensured that all negotiations ended today(evening ) and not travel to the next day as new tariffs will be introduced.

This is a smarter way of taking back whatever government will be given to workers through high tariffs as will be announced tomorrow by the PURC. Surely a win for the government.
Hope organized labour takes the cue from this situation and bargains well for 2023 salary increments.

15% COLA: Government is Smarter than Labour Unions [Article]

Written By:

Abukari Abdul Majeed
Educationists and Social Commentator
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