Politics of Friday, 5 April 2013
Source: radioxyzonline.com
Former Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Stephen Balado Manu has told XYZ News that agitating labour unions that are attacking MPs over the payment of the Legislators’ ex-gratia must rather join forces with the Law makers to demand their pound of flesh from the government.
Various labour Unions as well as the public, have expressed extreme anger at the government for paying Ghc47m to all the 230 MPs of the fifth parliament at a time that University Teachers, Doctors, Pharmacists and Judicial Service staff were up in arms demanding better conditions of service and salary arrears.
The matter has generated a comparison game between the MPs and the labour unions especially teachers.
It started when former Asokwa MP, Maxwell Kofi Jumah questioned the basis of incessant criticisms from the unions against the MPs and wondered if the Teachers and Doctors could compare themselves to MPs.
However, Mr Balado Manu who is also a former Teacher, said the agitations coming from the labour front are baseless.
He said: “Every work stands different and they have conditions of service not being the same, so if teachers, doctors and MPs are all fighting for what is due them I don’t see why it should degenerate in a comparison debate”.
According to him, parliamentarians did not go to the treasury of the government to take any money.
“The payment of ex-gratia to MPs who served in the Fifth Parliament was based on the recommendations of the Professor Ewura Ama Addy Committee which had been set up by the late President Mills.” he noted.