Workers asked to check government policies

Accra, June 11, GNA - Until labour groups unite to check unfavourable government policies, attempts to negotiate for improved conditions of service would be insignificant, a labour movement noted on Wednesday.

Mr Abraham Koomson, Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, said without effective economic policies to ensure that negotiations made were relevant to future threats the plight of workers would still remain low.

"For instance, between February and March, the minimum wage of GH¢ 2.25 was acceptable considering that inflation rate was then 11.2 per cent, but now that it has risen to 15.1 per cent, it is obvious the wage is insufficient," he added.

Mr. Koomson was speaking at a day's seminar organized by the Federation under the theme: "Labouring for Ghana: What Should the Labour Movement in Ghana Be Doing Now and in the Future." The seminar, aimed at advocating for the formation of an organized labour group also provided labour activists the opportunity to evaluate their performance and share ideas on ways to move workers' agenda forward.

Mr. Koomson therefore asked workers to show concern on all government policies and come together to voice out their grievances. Mr. Raymond Atugubah, a lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, said the participation of citizens in governance was low and therefore the wake up call by the labour movement to challenge government was commendable.

He asked labour groups to adopt a common goal in order to have a unified voice necessary to agitate for workers. Mr. Atugubah indicated that the challenge to the labour movement in the country was its fractured front, adding that the legal regime could either destroy or make them move ahead.

He therefore advised the labour groups to be proactive in their negotiations by considering the changing economic trends and the country's development agenda.

Mr. Kwesi Danso Acheampong, Deputy Chairman of the National Labour Commission, said it was only when a labour movement was well strategized that it could win the confidence of its members. He said labour groups should not affiliate themselves to political parties because this deprived them of their strength.