General News of Monday, 2 May 2011

Source: GNA

Tema workers celebrate May Day with merrymaking

Tema, May 2, GNA - Thousands of workers in the Tema Metropolis on May Day thronged the GHACEM Club House to make merry after the national May Day parade held at the Independence Square in Accra. The workers from the various unions were dressed in T-shirts of different colours, bearing the inscriptions of their establishments. They danced, drunk, ate and socialized.

Present at the gathering were Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, and his Deputy, Mr Antwi Boasiako, and Nii Armah Ashietey, Greater-Accra Regional Minister.

Nii Ashietey said the presence of the Ministers at the gathering was to demonstrate to them that May Day was not only about workers celebration, but rather, it was a partnership between workers, government and employers.

He congratulated workers in Ghana for ensuring that the country enjoyed industrial peace.

Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, also congratulated the workers for their patriotism, encouraged them to keep it up to ensure the building of a better Ghana. Mr Ofosuware further urged workers to use the day to re-dedicate themselves to duty, by sticking to time, and avoiding the use of official hours for private jobs.

He also called on employers to put in place adequate measures to ensure the safety of their workforce, because safety hinged directly on productivity.

Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary-General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), asked workers, government and employers to reflect on the theme of the celebration: 93Decent Work for Sustainable Development." Mr Asamoah noted that creating more jobs was very important since the high rate of unemployment was undermining job security in the country.