Political analyst, Joshua Jebuntie Zaato has said labour unions in the country are only “shedding crocodile tears” over the controversial sale of a 60% stake in four hotels by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Speaking on The Forum on Asaase 99.5 on Saturday (20 July), Zaato said organised labour was complicit in the deal and should share the blame.
“In this particular deal, labour is shedding crocodile tears; labour is complicit,” Zaato said. “They are complicit and they are as guilty as the people they are blaming.”
Zaato argued that, as the largest bloc on the SSNIT board, labour representatives must have been aware of the planned sale for at least a decade. He questioned why labour had not publicly opposed the deal sooner.
“This process started almost ten years ago,” Zaato said. “Can you reference anything that labour has come out to reject? They have up to five reps [on the SSNIT board]. Where were they?”
The analyst suggested that labour’s outrage was driven by public scrutiny rather than genuine concern for workers’ rights.
“It took a Member of Parliament to come out and say and then you’re like, Oh, we are outraged,” he said. “So, you are outraged just because now the public knows?”
The sale of the hotels has sparked widespread controversy in Ghana, with critics arguing that it will undermine SSNIT’s financial stability.
