The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Eric Agbe-Carbonu, has expressed strong discontent with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) over its decision to sell a 60% stake in four hotels to the Agriculture Minister.

During an interview on Joy News' PM Express, Agbe-Carbonu stated that when they went to the Jubilee House to meet the President over the issue, it was a near embarrassment because it seemed the government had already made up its mind and was attempting to force organised labour to accept the sale.

“That was a difficulty for some of us to understand. Another difficulty is the prudence of thinking that it is right to purchase a state property. Even if we don’t have laws against that in this country, morality should tell that it is absolutely wrong,” he said.

Read Also: Organised Labour declares strike over NPRA’s approval for sale of SSNIT hotels

He stressed the need to hold public officials accountable for purchasing state properties such as cars, lands, and houses due to their political influence.

“It is not an acceptable situation in this country and we ought to do something about it. Regarding the sales of the SSNIT hotels, it is an issue to ensure that the right thing is done. When you look at the nitty-gritty of the agreement, you realize that it is more or less a giveaway than a purchase,” he said.

On Monday, July 15, organised labour suspended its strike, which was initially launched to protest SSNIT’s plan to sell 60% shares in four hotels to a private firm owned by Food and Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong.

This suspension was announced by Trades Union Congress (TUC) Secretary General Dr Yaw Baah at a news conference following an emergency meeting.

He stated that SSNIT has been given one month to resolve all outstanding pension issues or “they will advise themselves.”

Former UN Senior Governance Advisor, Prof. Baffour Agyemang-Duah, expressed surprise that the government believed it could disregard the concerns of organised labour.

Read more: Labour unions can paralyse the whole country  – Prof Agyeman-Duah warns government

He noted that underestimating the strength of the "sleeping giant in organised labour" was surprising, especially given the significant implications of tampering with the SSNIT fund, which safeguards workers' futures.

“If organised labour wants to paralyse the whole country, they are in a position to do so. That was why I was surprised when they were defending that which was undefendable and dragging their feet," he said on Joy News PM Express on Monday.

Prof. Agyemang-Duah described the breakdown in the relationship between organised labour and SSNIT as “bad news,” emphasising that the Trust should not be seen defending a public official in the midst of wanting to buy state assets.

He added that the government should have paid attention when organized labour began protesting the sale.