President John Evans Atta Mills has been charged to take urgent steps of fulfilling his campaign promise of creating decent jobs for the many unemployed Ghanaians, especially the vibrant youth who do not participate in the economy.

Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), said the NDC’s manifesto and campaign message of creating jobs, contributed significantly to the success of the party in the past elections, therefore it was prudent for the government to walk its talk now that it was in power.

He revealed that Ghanaians should begin to access the performance of their government by the number of jobs it creates a year, stressing, that employment creation should be a conscious policy goal of all stakeholders, especially government.

He further warned that Ghana’s decent democracy could not thrive if the economy fails to provide decent and productive employment opportunities to the people, particularly the young ones who are a major asset of the country.

Mr. Asamoah wondered why “policy makers begin to implement neo-liberal, monetarist and free market policies after winning elections in which the promise of employment creation won many votes.”

He was speaking during the first Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Union of Industrial Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF) of GTUC in Kumasi on Friday, which was on the theme:

‘Employment Creation and Decent Work; the Key to Real Economic Development.’ UNICOF, which was formed six years ago, with a membership of over 10,000 scattered across the country, has so far lived up to its mission of organizing, educating and developing the capabilities of workers in industry, commerce, finance and allied workers towards improved productivity, working conditions and job security.

Francis Kofi Davoh, General Secretary of UNICOF, charged the National Labour Commission (NLC) and the National Tripartite Committee to use their powers to work towards preventing unfair labour practices which are predominant in Ghanaian organizations in order for Ghana’s Oil discovery to become a blessing rather than a curse. Mr. Francis Kofi Davoh called on those in authority to adopt a transparent regulatory regime, whereby their activities could be openly monitored by all and sundry.

He further called on the government as a matter of policy, to engage and collaborate with labour as a serious development partner, stating that “this must be evidenced by how issues relating to labour in the workplace and in the whole economy are treated. Labour deserves more than lip service.”

In his keynote address, Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare urged workers, especially those in the public sector to do away with strikes.

He also urged workers to embrace dialogue and grievance handling process in resolving all disputes, maintaining that it was the surest way by which workers could contribute to the ‘Better Ghana Agenda.’


Source: Daily Guide/Ghana