President wants labour concerns addressed in sale of SSNIT hotels

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed the Employment and Labour Relations Minister to engage labour leaders to address their concerns regarding the sale of four hotels by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).The objective is to secure the interest of all stakeholders in the processes.Dr Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), confirmed the President's directive in a media engagement in Accra.Organised labour has asked the government and management of SSNIT to halt the process of selling 60 percent of the Trust's interests in the hotels to Rock City Hotels Limited, a private company.The employees have questioned SSNIT's motivation in selling these hotels to a company owned by State Minister Dr. Bryan Acheampong, citing a conflict of interest.In relation to the same issue, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Okudzeto Ablakwa, has also petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe the sale of the hotels, including Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, Ridge Royal Hotel, Busua Beach Resort, and the Trust Lodge Hotel.Reacting to the concerns in a brief press conference in Accra, Dr Baah said if their call for the process to be discontinued failed, they would embark on a nationwide strike.'The leadership of Organised Labour was briefed by the workers' representatives on the Board of Trustees of SSNIT that they had collectively raised objections to the process and had advised that the process be halted, but it seems management of SSNIT is not ready to listen.''The original proposal of the sale of SSNIT's interests in six hotels has now been reduced to four. We hold the view that this renders the whole process null and void,' Dr Baah noted.Source: Ghana News Agency