Workers celebrate May Day with church service

Kumasi, May 01, GNA- Workers in the Ashanti Region on Sunday marked the May Day celebrations with an inter-denominational church service at the Jackson's park in Kumasi.

This was after a procession through some principal streets in Kumasi amidst brass band music and display of placards some of which read, "Gold Coast come and see Ghana", "Ghanaians live by magic", "Ghanaians are suffering" and "fuel prices are too high." Delivering the sermon, the Reverend Mrs Comfort Adu of the Gospel Promotions Ministries in Kumasi, reminded the workers that, God appreciated hard work.

She said there was dignity in honest labour and advised Ghanaian workers not to grumble in whatever work they found themselves in, but continue to work diligently to promote the development of the country. Rev. Mrs Adu, who is also the National Vice Chairman of the Civil Servants Association, commended the regional leadership of the TUC for marking the day with church service and said that indicated the trust workers have in God.

She advised the leadership of TUC to unite and promote the interest and welfare of their members.

President John Agyekum Kufuor, in an address read on his behalf by Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, advised workers not to allow the freedom of association under the new Labour Act to undermine the unity of purpose which had been the characteristics of organised labour in Ghana.

He acknowledged the hardship the increases in petroleum prices and deregulation of the petroleum sector had brought to many Ghanaians, including workers, but said the decision was taken in the best interest of the nation.

President Kufuor appealed to workers to believe in the government because there was a brighter future for the nation. Mr Akwasi Adu-Amankwaa Secretary General of the TUC urged the government to protect the textile and poultry industries in the country by raising import duties on textiles and poultry products imported into the country.

He also called on the government to institute measures that would help bridge the income inequalities in the country.

In a resolution read by Mrs Geogina Opoku Amankwaa, Ashanti Regional Chairperson of the TUC, the workers called on the residents of Kumasi to desist from meting out instant justice to suspected criminals.

It also called on the government to ensure that the deregulation of the petroleum sector was done with the welfare of the Ghanaian in mind. The resolution also called on the employers and employees to take the issue of health and safety at the work place very serious. It commended the government for increasing the freight of the Metro Mass Transit buses in the country.