Government has described the decision by various Labour groups to embark on an indefinite strike as illegal.
According to the Minister for Labour and Employment, Haruna Iddrisu, the labour groups did not inform government of their intention to embark on a strike action.
Labour unions in the country are currently on strike protesting over government's failure to pay public sector workers their tier two pension funds into private accounts.
The Labour groups numbering 8 are made up of: the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Public and Health Service Workers Union and the Ghana Registered Nurses Association.
The rest are the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association, Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG).
Speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi in an interview on PEACE FM, Haruna Iddrisu, disclosed that there have been several meetings between the labour groups and government; without any agreement.
"... In the last meeting at the Ministry of Employment, we didn't reach any agreement and so I requested that we do further dialogue and consultation after I come back from an IMF meeting...and so it surprises me that they have declared a strike action� the minister lamented.
The Minister insisted that there is no way the pension fund can be left in private hands because it is risky and moreover, it is never done anywhere.
�We have over 440 million with the Bank of Ghana yet to be disbursed. The money is there but it is just the structure and the mechanism that we disagree�the President has a duty and responsibility to protect the fund against any risks. We have seen it happen in Scandinavia where employees� schemes have collapsed and the state has been called in...� he stated.
He however hoped to resolve the issue in a meeting which was going to be held on Wednesday, 22nd October, 2014.
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