The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling on the government to convene a national dialogue on the economy in order to build a consensus on the way out of the economic crisis that will also pave the way to building a more resilient economy.
According to TUC, “the working people of Ghana and their unions are ready to play our part in the social and economic development of our Dear Motherland Ghana”.
This was contained in a speech read on behalf of the Secretary-General of TUC, Dr Yaw Baah by the Western Regional Chainman of organized Labour, Bro. Charles Thompson Jr. at the Regional May Day Celebration held in Tarkwa on the theme: Protecting Incomes and Pensions in an Era of Economic Crisis: Our Responsibility”
“We are all feeling the effects of the high rate of inflation, the high cost of living, the destruction of jobs and potential jobs including employment freeze in the public sector, the debt crisis and the effects of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme on investors including pensioners, the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi, the sharp increases in fuel prices, delays in infrastructural development, as well as the effects of the crisis on education, health and human development, generally”.
Mr Thompson noted that the “IMF bailout has now become the lifeline for Ghana, in spite of our enormous human and natural resources. Mr President, we in Organized Labour hold the view that the economic crisis we are experiencing in Ghana is self-imposed. We acknowledge the adverse effects of COVID-19 and the Russian/Ukraine war on the global economy but we do not believe that these events are the fundamental causes of Ghana’s economic crisis”.
According to him, the reason Ghana has had to seek IMF support almost every three years is largely due to the flaws in the way the economy has been managed, based on neo-liberal free market ideology.
He reiterated the TUC’s position that the IMF programme can never take the economy out of this crisis, adding that “another IMF programme will only impose more economic burden on us. We have to change the situation ourselves. We believe that government can lead us out of this crisis by cutting expenditure on non-essentials including the need to stop spending our hard-earned revenue on a national Cathedral”.
The Western Region Minister Hon Dr Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah on behalf of the president commended workers for their hard work, commitment and achievements towards the development of the economy.
He said the current economic crisis the world is facing has had consequences on the Ghanaian economy, but was quick to commend organized labour in the region for making the economic activities robust in the region.
Hon Dr Darko Mensah assured the unions that the government is doing everything possible to create an enabling environment to help businesses thrive in the region and Ghana as a whole.
He called on labour to continue to work with the government closely to build Ghana every Ghanaian is looking forward to seeing.
Various union groups of T.U.C marched with various inscriptions on placards. Some of the inscriptions on the placards included; workers deserve living wages, our pension funds are untouchable, Mr President, no freezing of employment in 2023 and beyond, Asogli workers’ rights are being violated, Government, intervene now among others.
Workers from various unions were awarded for their hard work, commitment and contributions towards their work and mother unions.
Among the award winners was the General Manager of Takoradi Gas Ltd, Mr Luxman Anora Kaluarachi who was awarded by the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress for his immense contribution toward the development of the Takoradi Gas Ltd.
Source: myinfotoday.com
