Editor of the Ghanaian Lens newspaper, Kobby Fiagbe has chastised the National Security set-up over the mounting labour unrest in the country in recent times. According to Mr. Fiagbe, National Security needs to be proactive to stem the virtual outbreak of strikes across the country, saying hardly a day passes without one report or another of unions or associations threatening to embark on strike or actually embarking on strike to back demands, a situation he described as unacceptable. Speaking to Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Adom Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday, Mr Fiagbe said he believes national security can always nip some of the unrest in the bud instead of allowing them to occur. He said the institution has everything at its disposal to preempt impending strikes and act promptly on the information they receive to prevent them. Citing an example to buttress his point, Mr. Fiagbe disclosed that his outfit received information about a pending strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and communicated the information to National Security about two weeks before the union embarked on its strike. He suspects nothing was done about it. “When we got that information, we asked those who are in charge of those matters to be alert and do what they can to avert it but obviously somebody might have thought that if they go on strike, it is illegal so what was supposed to be done was not done, I don’t know, I’m just surmising.” He insisted that National Security should have been able to do something about UTAG’s strike before it happened, adding that the many strikes are not earning the NDC government any sympathy. Mr Fiabge further explained that another factor responsible for the many strikes is miscommunication or a lack of it. He said the communication methods of those who are in charge of negotiations with the workers may not be very effective resulting in the workers laying down their tools at the slightest chance. “Anytime you hear that workers are on strike and you go and investigate you will be told that ‘the strike is illegal’, ‘we are at the negotiating table’ or ‘the workers are misrepresenting government’s position’. So if that is the case, why is it that government’s position will always have to be told only after workers have gone on strike?” Mr. Fiagbe demanded. According to him, the impression that is created when the issue of government’s position being misrepresented comes up is that the workers are not being given the accurate information by their leadership. “If that is the case, why should we leave the delivery of such important information in the hands of people who have over the years shown that they are not capable of relaying the message accurately to reflect the decisions and the discussions that are going on?” He suggested that leaders to negotiations issue statements outlining what agreements have been reached to inform and educate their members and the general public. Story: Linda Safoa Antwi/Adom News