Veep meets Labour leaders

By Edmund Mingle

The Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Friday met the leadership of organized labour in an effort to address emerging concerns, saying the government is determined to protect and promote the interests of workers.

The meeting, which was part of efforts to actively engage the leadership of labour in addressing the concerns of workers across the country, was aimed at building a more effective partnership between the government and the trade unions.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur, who called the meeting, said the government recognized organized labour as critical social partners in the nation’s development drive, hence the need for regular engagement to address challenges.

“We do not have to wait for a crisis situation before we hurriedly meet,” he said.

He assured the leadership of organized labour of government’s commitment to improving the working and welfare conditions for Ghanaian workers while protecting their rights.

In addition, he said measures would continue to be taken to ensure fairness and equity in public sector salaries, adding the needed support would be provided to workers towards increased productivity.

The Vice President was hopeful that an effective framework for regular engagement between the two sides would be developed by the end of the meeting.

Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), who led the labour side to the meeting, lauded the initiative indicating that regular engagements would enable both sides to appreciate the challenges confronting each other.

“We believe in effective consultation,” he said, and believed that such engagements would be fruitful.

The working people of Ghana, he stressed, play a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country, and therefore they concerns needed to be addressed to ensure harmony and peace in the labour front.

In addition, he believed that such interactions would help to better inform government in taking decisions that affect workers.

“We shall actively play our role as social partners, and pledge to contribute to the successful implementation of the national development agenda,” he said.

The members of the government’s team which was led by the Vice President, included the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment and Social Welfare.

Those on the side of Organised labour included almost all the heads of the workers’ unions including the TUC, Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, National Association of Graduate Teachers, Ghana Registered Nurses Association, Teachers and Educational Workers Union and the Textiles, Garments and Leather Workers Union of Ghana, among others.

The meeting comes after a similar engagement by the Vice President with employers last week.