By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Hundreds of workers from the public, private and informal sectors of the economy in the Ashanti region came together to commemorate International Workers’ Day. Conspicuously missing from the event were members of the Civil and Local Service Staff Association of Ghana, CLOCSAG who had indicated earlier to stay away from the commemoration. Nicholas Osei-Wusu participated in the celebrations and reports that the workers arrived at the convergence point of the Central Post Office at Adum in Kumasi as early as 6am for the commencement of activities to commemorate this year’s edition of the International Workers’ Day-themed “Protecting Jobs and Incomes in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond”.
Adorned mainly in different colours and designs of ‘T-shirts identifying them according to their respective organizations, the workers set off from the Central Post Office at exactly 18 minutes past 8am and walked through selected majors streets in Kumasi.
Amidst brass band music and in an enthusiastic mood, the May Day participants went through the Harper Road, Unicorn House area, Aseda House, A-Life, the Asafo Interchange, and the Labour Roundabout before congregating once more at the Jubilee Park.
They carried many placards with various messages of concern to Ghanaian workers today. Some of them read ‘Monkey Dey Work Baboon Dey Chop’, ‘COLA or Aluta’, Mr. President Reduce the Size of Your Government’, ‘4% and 7% pay increase is an insult’ and ‘NSA Deserves Better Working Conditions’.
Conspicuously missing from the celebration were members of the Civil and Local Government Workers Association of Ghana. However, the Local Government Workers Union took an active part in the commemoration.
The Regional Branch of the TUC presented television sets, citations and other phone prizes to some of its present and former members for their contribution to the labour movement in the region
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the TUC, Laarbik Simon, drew the government’s attention to the negative impact the continuous rising inflation is having on the already meagre Incomes of Ghanaians, hence, the need for it to take steps to improve the socio-economic situation in the country.
The Acting Regional Secretary of the TUC, Solastica Derry, called on the government to consider paying a Cost of Living Allowance, COLA to all Public Sector Workers to assuage the eroding value of their salary by the increasing cost of living
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy has been devastation including the loss of about 41 thousand jobs in the country. He acknowledged also the harsh reality of the difficult socio-economic circumstances of all workers in the country saying that he has lost 30 %of his salary for March.
