Ghana seeks remedy to just transition to create decent jobs

The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MERL) has indicated it will seek remedies to just transitions; which is overcoming the effects of climate change to create sustainable jobs and to increase productivity in the country.

Just transition according to the ministry, is finding solutions to the effects of climate change by going green economy to create decent jobs.

MERL gave this indication at the National Dialogue on Decent Work and Just Transition to an Environmentally Sustainable Economy and Society for All organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Innovations, Science and Technology, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), International Labour Organization, Ghana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) and the Ghana Employers’ Association among others.

The national dialogue was on the theme: ‘The role of Tripartite Constituents in Decent Work and Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic Development’.

The dialogue organized in Accra seeks to address the very important agenda on the development and influence of climate change and to make sure the aspirations of the Ghanaian worker sees the light of day.

The national dialogue on just transition was also in response to climate change and how it affects the Ghanaian worker and was to seek remedies to climate change and how it will affect the Ghanaian worker in the future.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Minister for Employment and Relations, Bright Wereko-Brobbey said what will happen when Ghana was confronted with just transition will to use innovations like green economy agenda to create jobs.

Already three countries including the Philippines have implemented their green economy agenda he said.

The Minister explained further that just transition is a packaged policy relating to the vulnerability of workers their environment and the risk of losing their jobs, economic downturn among others.

According to him; in the wake of these impacts of climate change, it is the duty of the government to provide workers with decent jobs in the legal framework of climate change resilient economy.

He added that diversification of the economy has been on the mind of the government to reflect in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

Presenting the ILO’s policy guidelines on ‘Just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all’, Moustapha Gueye said he has been part of the discussion for Ghana’s green economy since 2009.

He claimed that green economy has the potential to employ sixteen million people in waste management and renewable energy transitions on the African continent.

In a chairman’s remarks; Eben Tawiah Armah, a former commissioner at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) says the concept of decent work and just transition needs extensive consultation adding that the negative impact on the environment must be critically considered.