DPP asks workers to press for reduced living cost

Accra, May 2, GNA - The Democratic People's Party (DPP) on Tuesday congratulated Ghanaian workers on the celebration of the May Day and asked them not to be too much enamoured with wage increase but to rather put pressure on the Government to reduce the cost of living. The message signed by Mr T. N. Ward-Brew, National Chairman of DPP, said emphasis should be put on reducing the cost of living particularly the reduction in prices of goods and services since in the long round that tended to be beneficial.

The message asked both the Government and workers to be circumspect in putting too much emphasis on increase of wages now as the yearly addition of 350,000 new persons to the labour force might reduce the ability and willingness of employers to engage or absorb new labour or create new jobs and that might force them to spend more resources on wages and salaries.

It said "the challenge of our economy is that there are too many increases of too many things around us. And the bad situation might get worse from further increases especially from wages and salaries that might be ineffectual in the long run."

The message called on all to make "serious and strenuous efforts to do our best to make the much needed sacrifices to ensure that the economy moves in the right direction".