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

Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), has commended Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, for bringing Social Justice and Decent Work back into the 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 do so 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 not only enhances the ILO's image in the multilateral system but is also a clarion call to 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, June 3rd, to Friday, June 14th, was held on two premises: the Palais des Nations and the ILO Headquarters.

The ILC is the highest decision-making body of the International Labour Organization (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 is witnessing today.

Dr. Baah reiterated that Social Justice is 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 labor unions to be fair in their dealings with employers and governments.

He noted that together, as social partners operating in the labor market, they must be fair to women, young people, informal economy workers, migrant workers, workers from minority groups, and 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, policymakers, and international institutions should not focus exclusively on economic growth, power, and money.

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