Two prominent organized labor unions, the Health Services Workers Union (HSWU) and the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), have expressed disappointment with the mid-year budget review presented by the government. The unions are unhappy that the budget failed to address pressing issues such as the high cost of living and the need to reduce prices of goods and services.
In their reaction to the budget, the HSWU and GAWU emphasized the need for the government to prioritize issues related to workers’ salaries. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Amin Adam, had presented the mid-year budget on July 23, highlighting the government’s achievements, including raising over GHC4 billion to pay depositors after the banking sector cleanup.
Dr. Adam also noted that inflation had dropped to around 22.3 percent and mentioned other initiatives that have improved the economy. However, the General Secretary of the HSWU, Franklin Owusu Ansah, pointed out that the budget failed to address income inequalities among workers.
Ansah explained that the budget did not provide for increased salaries or reduced taxes, which are essential for improving workers’ living standards. He emphasized that the only way to make workers better off is by increasing their salaries or reducing taxes, which the budget review did not address.
The General Secretary of GAWU, Edward Kareweh, also criticized the government for what he described as an “IMF-driven mid-year budget,” implying that the budget was influenced by the International Monetary Fund’s policies rather than the needs of Ghanaian workers. The unions’ disappointment with the budget highlights the ongoing concerns about the high cost of living and the need for the government to prioritize workers’ welfare in its economic policies.
