Politics of Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Source: tv3network.com

'Blame labour agitations on politicians' profligate lifestyle'

CPP Presidential hopeful, Joseph Agyapong CPP Presidential hopeful, Joseph Agyapong

A Presidential aspirant of the Convention People's Party, CPP, Joseph Agyapong, has blamed current labor agitations on the profligate lifestyles of political leaders.

According to Joseph Agyepong, Ghanaian workers expect modesty from politicians in view of the current economic challenges.

There have been countless public sector agitations over salaries and conditions of service disparities.

Currently, some workers in the education and health sectors are on strike with over 2,000 members of the Ghana Medical Association, GMA, withdrawing their services at public health facilities.

Government and hospital pharmacists are also on strike also demanding an interim market premium, proper grading and conversion difference.

Psychiatric nurses at the Psychiatric Hospital in Accra were given assurance by government to be paid their salary arrears next month before resuming work last week.

State attorneys resumed work last week after a one-month strike over conditions of service and lack of logistics.

According to the flagbearer hopeful of the Convention People’s Party, until politicians become modest, labor agitations will continue.

"NDC has been in power for over 20 years, NPP has been in power for eight years; yet look at the lifestyles they live. And civil servants are doing more jobs than even we the politicians; so I think they are doing that to send a signal to all Ghanaians that they are all watching, and every single individual in this nation must understand that Ghana is behind. This is not acceptable," he stated.

Joseph Agyapong cautioned other politicians seeking the mandate of the people to take a cue from the current happenings in the country.

"We are living highly ostentatious lives. If we could afford to buy a Toyota Land cruiser which is worth more than $120,000 and ride it just because I am a Minister or a DCE and yet the ordinary Ghanaian is living below a dollar a day, whiles somebody from who graduated from Medical school is challenged in affording basic living what do we expect" he asked.