The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has appealed to government to grant Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to public sector workers to cushion them against harsh effects of inflation.
The TUC made the appeal during the celebration of the International Workers Day (May May) on May 1, 2022.
In a statement read by the Upper West Regional Secretary of the TUC at the celebration of Workers’ Day in Wa, the labour giant appealed to the President of the Republic to exercise Executive power in instituting the COLA to prevent mass poverty among Ghanaian workers who are contributing to the country’s development.
In his welcome address, the Chief Executive for Wa Municipal Assembly, Issahaku Tahiru Moomin said labour was the driving force to the development of all societies thus, urged workers to stay motivated in giving off their best towards Ghana’s development.
He said labour was a game changer which brings fortitude to society.
The Upper West Regional Chairman of the TUC, Ibrahim Wemah, in his opening remarks, called on government to expedite action in fixing bad roads in the region to save workers the stress and hurdles in accessing workplaces especially during the rainy season.
He lamented over the current economic hardships that public sector workers were going through saying “our salaries no longer take us home.”
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Hafiz Bi Salih, the Regional Coordinating Director, Peter Maala, urged the TUC to continue to advocate for increased productivity at workplaces.
He said increased productivity will translate into better conditions of service.
The Upper West Regional celebration of the May Day was preceded by a route through some principal streets of town with celebrants holding placards with inscriptions like “The Ghanaian Worker Deserves Better Treatment”, “Pay Raise Should Not Be Below Inflation”, “The Teacher Deserves Better Conditions Of Service”, We Need Living Wage Not Minimum Wage”.
Some nine deserving workers of some of the labour groups were awarded with 43-inch flat screen TV sets and citations of honour for their hard work and dedication to duty.
The 2022 May Day celebration was on the theme: “Protecting Jobs and Incomes in an Era of COVID-19 and Beyond”.