The fate of SSNIT's management and Board of Directors hangs in the balance amidst the fallout from the failed sale of its stake in four hotels. Last Friday, SSNIT abruptly terminated the sale process after the prospective investor withdrew their bid, sparking widespread discontent and organized labor strikes.
Labor unions, including JUSAG and the GMA, rallied support for the strike, highlighting growing dissatisfaction. UTAG escalated the issue, demanding the Board's dissolution and management's resignation, citing serious governance lapses.
This controversy isn't just about hotels; it's a critical moment for Ghana's governance and public trust. Today's meeting will decide SSNIT's leadership future, impacting Ghana's economic credibility and institutional integrity.
Stay tuned as we follow this unfolding story that tests Ghana's commitment to transparency and accountability in its public institutions.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday, Dr Mumuni said: “UTAG was in discussion with Organised Labour, and the issue of the dissolution of the board will be part of a broader agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. That is very significant for the UTAG concerning the issue”.
He said when people were put in a position of trust such as SSNIT that looked out for pensioners, they had to know that they were working on behalf of a very vulnerable people, “and, therefore, when transactions such as this comes up and they appeal to the conscience of the leaders, it is only ideal that they listen to the cry”.
“This is not a political issue. If the issue is just political, Ghanaians will leave it in the hands of the two major political parties to combat, but this is beyond politics, and it is all about our pensioners, and so we think that having taken us through this process, it is important the board is dissolved and the management of SSNIT takes a bow. In that way it will guide future transactions,” he stressed.
Background
Organised Labour last Friday declared the industrial action after an emergency meeting among the unions at the Hall of Trade Unions in Accra.
The Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, read the statement announcing the strike at a news conference after the emergency meeting.
Dr Baah stated that the strike would be in force until SSNIT immediately “terminates the process to sell 60 per cent of its shares in Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort and Ridge Royal Hotel”.
“From Monday, July 15, 2024, all workers in Ghana must not go to work until SSNIT publicly announces the termination of the process for the sale of its shares in the hotels,” the TUC stated.
The statement was signed by Dr Baah, the Chairman of the Forum of Public Sector Workers, Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Kenneth Koomson.
But Rock City Hotel eventually withdrew its bid before the close of the day.