Ghana observes World Day for Decent Work

Accra, Oct. 7, GNA - This year's World Day for Decent Work was on Thursday observed in Accra with a call on the youth to strive to pursue higher academic laurels so they could be eligible for decent work. "If by the age of six you are not in school you are likely to do indecent work all your life," Dr Yaw Baah, Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress said.

Dr Baah noted that out 11 million Ghanaians between the ages of 15 and 60 years who were eligible, 10 million were doing indecent work. This, he said, was because those people did not have certificates to enable them secure work.

The theme for the celebration is: "Decent Work for the Youth." The Deputy Secretary General noted that government was in the position of offering the youth with free education but expressed regret that they had been left to their fate.

According to Dr Baah the youth who sell dog chains had now "graduated" to selling even fridges on the streets just to make a living.

He, therefore, stressed the need for government to offer other opportunities for them to earn decent jobs.

Dr Baah pointed out that youth between the ages of 14 and 25 years constituted the bulk of the youth who were parading the streets without decent work.

"We want more jobs. Jobs bring dignity. If the youth are jobless they become vulnerable. Some girls have to go to bed with employers before securing a job," he said. Dr Baah called on government to pay more attention to the four pillars of decent work namely, employment, human rights, social protection and social dialogue. He said if this were done it would provide a good environment for the youth to excel in life and take over from their leaders. Dr Baah was not happy with the way the youth, especially graduates placed value on their worth and tasked them to strive to break barriers militating against their survival. He challenged the various trades unions in organisations to also engage the youth in dialogue and negotiations so that their potentials would be harnessed. 7 Oct. 10