Analysing a Season of Strikes in Ghana; A Multi Disciplinary Perspective

Abstract

Industrial strikes have become a feature of Ghana’s industrial relations system for the past twenty years. In the public sector, most strikes bother on perceptions of inequity in compensation and benefits administration. This article analyzes strikes by three workers unions in Ghana namely Teachers & Education Workers Union (TEWU), Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and Allied Health Workers Group (HWG) during the period from February 2006 to June 2006. These strikes had a rippling effect on the economy. This study frames this period as the “season of strikes” in Ghana’s industrial relations history under the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by President J.A. Kuffour. Using an integrated conceptual framework namely Tichy’s Technical Political Culture organisational change model and industrial relations systems theory, it  offers suggestions on how to address public sector compensation issues in a sustainable manner within the context of public sector industrial relations and public policy and highlights the need to strengthen state institutions which have the legal mandate to manage industrial relations in Ghana.