The Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana), says the New Year calls for renewed commitment from government and workers to continue to deal with the mirage of challenges facing the country.

The union believes an improved economy will have a positive impact on the fortunes of workers and employers in both public and private sectors. This is contained in a New Year message from the Leadership, Management and Staff of ICU-Ghana.

A statement signed by the Union’s General Secretary, Morgan Ayawine, also urged Ghanaians to contribute towards peaceful elections this year to sustain investor confidence in the economy.

The ICU message said that the overall goal of workers leaders’ is to continue to collaborate with other social partners to ensure a conducive working environment that will engender increased productivity, which will result in higher profits for organisations and better remuneration for workers.

It is in this vein that the ICU-Ghana reiterates the need for workers to be guided by the union maxim “the Employer’s Vision, Our Union’s Concern.”

In upholding the union’s maxim, it is expected that Ghanaian workers will commit to sacrifice and re-dedicate themselves to working assiduously to help employers realise their organisational goals, for the mutual benefit of all.

The ICU-Ghana, having expressed worry over the years regarding the country’s increasing unemployment situation and the attendant rising poverty levels, will like to call on government to pay serious attention to some strategic State-owned institutions in this new year, 2024, by injecting the needed financial resources into such institutions to revive and sustain them.

This, the Union believes, is one progressive way to help those whose jobs are on the line in such organisations and also goes a long way towards creating sustainable employment opportunities for the teaming young people.

ICU-Ghana therefore reiterates its special appeal to social partners, especially Government, to extend the needed support to the following State-Owned Enterprises Aluworks Ghana Limited, Neoplan Ghana Limited, PBC Limited, and Volta Star Textiles Limited, since the potential of the huge economic contributions from these institutions to attainment of the country’s rapid socio-economic goals cannot be overemphasised.

The union is hopeful that the bailout to the National Investment Bank, upon appeal by the Union (ICU-Ghana), will see magnificent results in this new year 2024 and beyond. This will surely be a testament to the belief of the union that, with dedicated central government support, strategic State-Owned Enterprises, SOEs can play their rightful roles in national development efforts.

It will also give meaning to the advocacy by labour unions for the necessary conditions to be created for sustainable employment opportunities. For employers whose goal is to bend the rules against workers, thereby jeopardising their future, ICU-Ghana urges such employers to reposition themselves so that the labour terrain can be peaceful and engender higher productivity.

On election 2024, ICU-Ghana reminds Ghanaians that peaceful environment is critical for accelerated growth, and it is the expectation of the union that all stakeholders will unite and strive at all times to sustain national peace and stability. This is because no amount of increased productivity can take place in an atmosphere of violence.

The union urges all political actors to conduct their activities devoid of rancour and acrimony, mindful of the fact that working people can only give their best in a peaceful society.

It added that the gallant workers of Ghana have over the years sacrificed for the national interest, but it behooves other social partners to play their roles responsibly for the greater good of the country.

ICU-Ghana, SALUTES ALL WORKERS, other SOCIAL PARTNERS and Ghanaians in general and wish all a productive and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR, 2024.