TUC Secretary-General commends ILO Director-General for bringing back Social Justice

Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Secretary General, Trade Unions Congress (TUC) has commended Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, for bringing back Social Justice and Decent Work into limelight through the creation of the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

The overarching aim of the Global Coalition for Social Justice is to unite diverse partners in addressing areas of critical importance to achieve social justice, at the intersection of their respective mandates.

“Ghana Trades Union Congress is a proud member of the Coalition. We urge all unions that have not yet joined the coalition to join without further delay,” Dr Baah stated in his address during the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“This noble vision of the Director-General does not only enhance ILO’s image in the multilateral system, but it is also a clarion call on all of us (that is governments, unions, employers, civil society organizations, NGOs, multilateral institutions, especially the international financial institutions) to review and re-examine our goals, policies, laws, practices, activities, traditions, cultures and norms within the framework of social justice.”

The Ministry of Employment, labour Relations and Pensions, made a copy of the TUC Secretary-General’s speech available to the Ghana News Agency.

The Conference, which officially commenced from Monday, 3rd June, to Friday, 14th June, was held on two premises: the Palais de Nation and the ILO Headquarters.

The ILC is the highest decision-making body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is held annually in June to advance the core mandate of the ILO.

The Conference brought together all tripartite delegations from the ILO’s 187 Member States and observers from other international actors to discuss topics related to the world of work.

Dr Baah said the creation of the Global Coalition for Social Justice was very timely, given the fast-changing world of work and the acrimonious geopolitics the world was witnessing today. 

Dr Baah reiterated that Social Justice was a universal principle that must be embraced by all, regardless of their nationality, race, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and location. 

“If we, the social partners in the ILO, are promoting social justice then we should demonstrate that we are ahead of those we are inviting to join the Global Coalition for Social Justice.”

The Secretary-General urged Governments to be fair to their people, especially the most vulnerable citizens; adding that “employers must be fair to their employees and their unions”.

He urged labour unions to be fair in their dealings with employers and governments.

He noted that together, as social partners operating in the labour market, they must be fair to women, young people, informal economy workers, migrant workers, workers from minority groups, and that they must also be fair to people with disabilities. 

One of the things we can do together, as social partners, is to continue to adopt appropriate recommendations and conventions here at the International Labour Conference to protect the most vulnerable in the world of work.

Dr Baah said governments, businesses, policy makers and international institutions should not focus exclusively on economic growth, power, and money.

“We should pay attention to social justice in all what we do. Because that is the foundation for universal peace and harmony,” Dr Baah stated.