Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister, says government is committed to deepening dialogue with all stakeholders to ensure that job creation, wage adjustments, and improved working conditions become realities not just aspirations.
He said public servants, private sector actors, municipal assemblies, traditional leaders and unions deserve better working conditions which would be delivered.
Mr Gunu speaking during the Volta and Oti Regional edition of the 2025 May Day celebration held in Hohoe in the Volta Region, said resetting the conditions of work and pay required courage, honesty, and collaboration.
“Together, we can build a future where every worker earns a fair wage, enjoys safe working conditions, and contributes proudly to national development”.
He said workers’ rights were human rights and decent work was the foundation for national prosperity bearing in mind that the theme for the occasion deepened collaboration, dialogue and consensus building in spirit of patriotism and nationalism.
Mr Gunu said the Mahama-led government pledged to lead by example by promoting living wages, not just minimum wages.
He said the government also pledged to foster workplace equity, health and safety as well as formalising labour export programmes to offer more opportunities while protecting the dignity of Ghanaian workers abroad.
Mr John Kwadwo Gyapong, Oti Regional Minister, commended the workers for their hard work and contributions to the development and growth of the country.
He called on the TUC-Ghana to establish its Secretariat in the Oti Region to ensure decentralisation.
Dan Sosoo, Volta/Oti Regional, Chairman, Trades Union Congress (TUC-Ghana), said as part of supporting government’s Reset Agenda, there was the need to ensure that the reset began from the mind.
He said Workers had accepted the 10 per cent increment in pay due to the economic challenges, however, workers were hoping for better work pay as soon as the economy began to show signs of recovery.
Edith Abla Amenuvor Afewu, Volta/Oti Regional Secretary, TUC-Ghana, said the Ghanaian worker continued to bear the burden of the recent economic crisis caused by the rising cost of living, inflationary shocks and declining real incomes.
She said the wage landscape in Ghana was also characterised by very large inequities that were hard to explain or justify.
“We have become aware of the huge gap in pay and benefits between the political class grouped under Article 71 and the rest of public sector workers subsisting on the Single Spine Salary Structure.
“Even more obscene is the pay differential between the State-Owned Enterprises and parastatals on one hand and the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS)”.
Afewu said Ghanaian workers could not reset with low pay levels and amid the high level of pay disparities which was energy-sapping and demotivating.
Mr Prosper Kumi, Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the Assembly was committed to creating an enabling environment that supported the growth and development of workers.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to
ensure that our Municipality and the regions gathered here remain a hub for
economic growth social development and cultural exchange”.
Mr Kumi said the Municipality was among many Assemblies who had received fair share of some programmes recently launched by President John Dramani Mahama.
Workers from the various Unions received awards.
The ceremony was on the theme: “Resetting Pay and Working Conditions in Ghana: The Role of Stakeholders”.
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