Growth Must Deliver Gainful Employment: TUC Boss

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Kofi Asamoah
Kofi Asamoah

Ghanaian workers are today celebrating their annual May Day, as are many others around the words, to highlight the importance of the working population to national development.

As has been the yearly norm, workers in Ghana host the President – today, John Evens Atta Mills – at a national event to climax the memorable day.
This year’s celebration in Sunyani, the Brong-Ahafo Regional capital, is under the theme: Elections 2012: The Role of Workers in Securing Peaceful and Fair Election”.
Speaking on behalf of organised labour, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Kofi Asamoah said there is a direct correlation between job creation and political stability.
In that, a person who is gainfully employed will not be readily responsive to recruitment attempts for indulgence in repulsive or violent activities which will lead to heightened tensions and disturbances.
He said the massive growth of the nation’s macro-economy has yet to translate meaningfully into job creation and fiscal stability for the individual. It is imperative that economic policies of the nation do not only guarantee growth but also create beneficial jobs.
“Available data indicates that, the country achieved the longest period of micro-economic stability in resent economic history. In addition, our international reserve position is at its highest level”, Mr Asamoah heralded.
But added: “the reality however, is that the unprecedented growth rates like the previous periods of economic growth since the structure adjustment has failed to create decent jobs for Ghanaians. Joblessness is on the rise. Nearly all new jobs are been created in the informal economy where incomes are low and workers have very little protection form the county’s labour laws”.
“Joblessness, especially among the youth, constitutes the biggest challenge to national peace and stability.”
The TUC boss lamented the over exposure of the local industry to unfair international competition, suggesting it is stifling the growth of Ghanaian owned businesses.
The over reliance on the export of raw materials has resulted in the neglect of the manufacturing sector.
“Policy makers over the years have failed to address the monumental challenges that confront the domestic industry, compelling many of our manufacturing firms to convert their factories into warehouses as they join the lucrative import trade.”
The TUC boss advocated that a move away from the economic policies of the IMF and the World Bank, that have been adopted by the nation for over three decades and a shift in attention into local manufacturing are sure ways of curbing the fall of the cedi against the international trading currencies, in the long term.
In The Interest Of The Worker
Ghana first adopted the May Day celebration during the reign of its first President Kwame Nkrumah, who was declared by the Trades Union Congress of Ghana (TUC) as the nation’s number one worker.
Formally the Gold Coast Trades Union Congress, the TUC was founded in 1945 under the Trades Union Ordinance of 1941.
Today, it represents the interests of 18 other autonomous trade unions of different professionals in Ghana. It is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation.
Historians find that Ghana’s fight for independence would have been more difficult – or nearly impossible – without the involvement of the then Gold Coast Trades Union Congress.
Though the British government at the time allowed the formation of the trade union to prevent the local occurrence of labour struggles that had accompanied the industrial revolution in Europe and North America, it rather gathered enough force to become the means by which it was ousted.
Being the single largest indigenous group in the country, it became the most effective way by which the Convention People’s Party, known for its socialist ideologies, established a formidable grassroots support to demand independence.
The union was responsible for many strike actions and workers rallies, pre-independence.
Whilst it has gone through many changes over the years, the union continues to champion the interests of Ghanaian workers but now more open to dialogue and consensus building.
Arch O.Ansah
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