Photos: What the placards said on May Day

Although Placards do not have a voice, yet workers who trooped to the Independence Square on Friday to observe the International Workers Day gave them voices and made them speak volumes during the celebration of the day which attracted the presence of President Mahama.

Workers from various organizations, both public and private sectors, used the placards to send messages that they could under normal circumstance not get the opportunity to present to the President.

Messages on their placards ranged from issues on the sale of ADB Bank, low salaries, energy crisis, corruption, high tariffs, inflation, depreciation of the cedi, the need for people to conserve energy, among others.

Some of the messages on the placards displayed by the workers were “ADB Bank, collect loan of Ghc600million and stop sale of shares for GHC200million”, ADB House is not for Sale”, We Resist the sale of ADB Office”, Low Salary but Utility Very High”, “Mr President, Please Minimize Tax Exemptions”, ADB Bank Case is an Example of looting of Public Assets”, ADB Bank Issue is a story of Pure Greed and Cronyism” and “Don’t Pretend Everything is Going Well” Mr President.

Others were, “Solve our Energy Disaster with Waste Management”,” Labour Department, Respect the Right of Workers to Unionize”, “After Employment Policy Launch, Where are the Jobs?”, Mr President, we are not Feeling you”, and Mr President, Ghanaians Need Jobs”.

Also on display were “We Pledge on Our Honour to Resist the Sale of ADB”, “Mr President, Pay Attention to Vocational Education”, “Mr President, Workers are Suffering under your Administration”, “Stop Making Workers Feel Bad”, “Public Yearly performance target for Ministers” and “Let Us pay our Water Bills on Time”, “No Environment, No Life”, EPA Abre”, and “Mr President Reduce the Price of Fuel Drastically as You Promised”.

The rest read “Stop Board Members and management of ADB Bank from Robbing the Sate”, “Our Brothers are Losing their Jobs because of the Energy Crisis”, Mr President, Please Control the Chop Chop”, “Set More Labour Courts”, “Use Electricity Wisely to Save the Dam”, “ESB for Politicians, what about Us”, “Release School Feeding Subsidy Now”, “Don’t Impose Pension Alliance on Us”, “Inflation has Eroded our Purchasing Power” and “Will the Cedi Ever Rise again”.

Some of the unionized organizations which took part in the parade include, Ghana Commercial Bank, Agric Development Bank, Ghana Revenue Authority, Rana Motors, Get Labour Company Limited, Nestle Local Union, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Labour Department, Total Petroleum, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Forestry Commission, Cocoa Marketing Company Limited and Alliance Française.

Also in attendance were the Forestry Commission, Cocoa Marketing Company Limited, Ernest Chemist, La Community Rural Bank, Ghana Rubber Products Limited, Nissan Auto Parts Limited, AEL Mining Service and the Audit Service.

Panbross Salt Industries, Silver Star Auto Limited, SIC Insurance Company, Cargill Ghana Limited, National Association of Graduates Teachers, Tema Development Corporation, SICOME Electrical Ghana Limited, and Citizen Movement against Corruption, all took part in the parade.

The rest were Graphic Communications Group, New Times Corporation, Bank of Ghana, Zakhem Constructions, African Regent, Holiday Inn, Golden Tulip Hotel, Alisa Hotels, Ghana Medical Association, Pens and Plastic Ghana Limited, Management Development and Productivity Institute, Anglogold Ashanti Duapriem Limited, Ghana News Agency, among others.

International Workers' Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labour unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries.

International Workers' Day is the commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour workday, killing several demonstrators and resulting in the deaths of several police officers, largely from friendly fire.

In 1889, the first congress of the Second International, meeting in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and the Exposition Universelle, following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests.

May Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891.

In many countries, the working classes sought to make May Day an official holiday, and their efforts largely succeeded.

May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist and anarchist groups. In some circles, bonfires are lit in commemoration of the Haymarket martyrs, usually at dawn.

May Day has been an important official holiday in Communist countries such as the People's Republic of China, Cuba and the former Soviet Union.

May Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries.