Deputy General Secretary of TUC, Joshua Ansah, said the group was not in favour of a freeze on employment in the services and took steps to prevent it by engaging the International Monetary Fund team which came into the country.

In an interview with the media in Accra, he explained that the TUC was disappointed in the government for the move, describing it as “a stab in the back because government promised not to do so.”

“I am really disappointed about the freeze of employment in the civil and public services in 2023, because this is something that the TUC has spoken about it all this while.

When the IMF team came to this country, we had the opportunity to meet with them and one of the issues we raised with them is about the freeze of employment that always becomes their conditionality anytime they access their programme, we were assured that that was not going to happen,” MrAnsah stated.

The TUC, he said, would discuss the issue with its Social Welfare Committee and respond appropriately.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, presenting the 2023 budget statement of government on November 24 announced that government was freezing employment in the Public and Civil Services as part of measures to reduce the rising public expenditure.

Amongst the measures was a reduction in fuel allocations to political appointees and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) by 50 per cent.

Also, a ban on the use of V8s/V6s or its equivalent except for cross-country travel and registration of all government vehicles with GV green number plates from January 2023 as well as limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles.

The Minister further announced that only essential official foreign travel across government including SOEs would be allowed adding that no official foreign travel would be allowed for board members.