Workers are our natural allies in National Development-Prez

Story by: Samuel Ablordeppey

The President Professor John Evans Atta Mills has lauded the contributions of Ghanaian workers in helping shape the developmental agenda of the country, saying, organized labor have made Ghana what it is today. He showered praises on the workers, when he said, the contribution of organized labor have helped in no small way in building the nation that Ghanaians could be proud of. ‘’As a social democratic government We regard workers as our Natural allies, and I want to assure workers of Ghana that as president, whenever you invite me to attend your celebrations anywhere in this country I will not hesitate to respond,’’ Prez Mills said. The 1st of May of every year, has been set aside across the world to acknowledge the contribution that organized labor makes towards the development of nations. Addressing workers at this year’s celebration in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region on the theme: election 2012 the role of workers in securing peaceful and fair elections, President John Evans Atta Mills commended organized labor for the display of good will when it flatly refused to accept the arbitrary hike in the minimum wage which was announced by the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) government , even before the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) took office and opted instead for consensus building. President Mills gave account of some of the initiatives undertaken by his administration to bring relief to the Ghanaian worker. To this end the President said government has ratified three important International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions. The first is the convention on minimum wage of 1973 which prohibits child labor. The second is the ratification of the convention on tripartite consultations of 1976; he said the convention encourages employers, employees and government to cooperate with one another and to discuss other legal issues, while the third is the safety and health in agricultural convention2001 which prohibits children from engaging in hazardous work. According to President Mills, the ratification of the three conventions will help the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) to fulfill its fundamental requirements of the ILO and in due course the rewards would be made manifest. President Mills added that government has introduced a 3 tier pension scheme which for the first time accommodates the needs of those in the informal sector, and the other which is the National pension act of 2008, which is supposed to take care of pensions and to provide enhanced retirement benefits and securities when workers decide to retire. ‘’In 2009 we set up the National Pension Regulatory Authority which is to oversee the organization and management of registered pensions, the work has been done and very soon these pensions will be in operation,’’ Prez Mills said.