Early Pay For Gov't Workers Is Political Game - Consultant

A Labour Consultant, Raphael Abodakpi has told Citi News President Mills’ directive to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department, to pay workers on government’s payroll on Friday January 14, instead of the usual 25th of each month, appears to be a political game. Government has explained that the move is intended to cushion workers who may have spent so much during the Christmas holidays. A statement signed by the Minister of Finance, said government was mindful of the fact that most schools would reopen very soon and this may put more financial stress on workers as they make efforts to pay the fees of their wards. But Mr. Abodakpi says although the initiative is laudable, it has to go beyond just workers on Government’s payroll, since they are not the only working group in the country who spent more during the holidays. “When I heard the news, I knew that the era in which we are, is very political because next year there will be serious politicking and political parties will be convincing Ghanaians to vote for them. So I saw in it a political game than the reality” he said. “I think that it is not only people whose salaries are paid through the Accountant General who are workers of Ghana. There are a lot more who work with private institutions and even State Owned Organisations who do not take their salaries from the Accountant General”. The Labour Consultant says a precedent must be set in the near future for more people within Government circles and possibly beyond, to benefit from the initiative since there would be many more Christmas seasons to come. “Much as I agree with the President having the interest of workers in Ghana at heart, it is not only those people who will enjoy the early payment of salaries, spent the holidays, and they are not the only people who will need money soon after the holidays. “This will set a bad precedence and it can even infuriate others who will not enjoy that facility because there are many companies whose workers will worry their trade union leaders to put pressure on their employers to do same” he noted.