General News of Wednesday, 14 March 2001

Source: GNA

Government Requested to Restore ESB

The Sekondi-Takoradi District Council of Labour (STDCL) on Tuesday called on the government to re-introduce End of Service Benefits (ESB) and also determine a minimum wage for workers.

This followed a consensus reached by members of the association at a meeting at Takoradi.

They said the suggestion if adhered to would assist in reducing the financial constraints facing workers and thereby enabling them to meet the rising cost of living coupled with high cost of transportation.

The meeting again appealed to the government to convene a national conference to critically debate the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative before its acceptance and implementation.

Additionally, "government should not tell the people about the advantages of HIPC alone, but economic experts should explain its implications."

They called on the security agencies to increase their night patrols and ensure that the crime wave, especially armed robbery and serial killing of women are stopped.

Members also appealed to trustees of the Labour Enterprises Trust (LET) to initiate measures to generate enough capital for investment and thereby create jobs for the youth.