Tema, Jan. 3, GNA – The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has declared 2024 an action year for labour, saying the unions must rise and fight for their rights.
“The various labour unions must not sit aloof again; we must rise and fight for our fair share of the national cake.”
Mr. Abraham Koomson, GFL Secretary-General, who made the declaration, called on the leadership of labour unions to solidify their front to defend the interests of all Ghanaian workers by fighting for higher salaries, fair working hours, and safer working conditions.
Mr. Koomson, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema on expectations for 2024, noted, “This year, if labour unions fail to fight for the interests of workers, we risk popular revolt by workers against union leaderships; we cannot stand the anger of hungry and angry workers.
“I am calling on fellow labour union leadership to work together; we must confront anyone, including the government and the management of establishments, whose actions or inactions are not in the interest of the worker,” he warned.
He also emphasised the urgent need for labour unions to engender a proactive labour front this year to effectively and efficiently fight for the interests of workers.
The GFL Secretary General said labour unrest or dissatisfaction displayed by workers last year demonstrated a sign of frustration, a sense of cheating, and other actions by policy makers and the government that were inimical to the growth of employees.
Mr. Koomson also charged public sector managers to set strategic, measurable targets for workers and ensure their achievement within a defined period.
He called on the management to set or assign targets for its workers either daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. “If only they want to achieve success or a goal, but if not, don’t blame workers for non-performance.”
Mr. Koomson noted that most often workers were accused of under-performance when, in some instances, basic tools to work with were unavailable.
He also identified poor supervision at various Ministries, Departments and Agencies as major contributors to sometimes the low performance of workers; “we must rather hold senior management and supervisors responsible for the failure of workers to achieve targets.”
He suggested that management must reintroduce and install a clocking-in system where staff clock in before they proceed to work and out. “If you don’t clock, the days or hours lost would be deducted at the end of the month from your salaries.”
Mr. Koomson said, “I have worked in the industry before; you can’t go loitering around; we have targets. We have leaders, foremen, and workers, so if the worker is found loitering, then the manager should be concerned and ask what is happening.”
The Unionist said, “Some workers sometimes want to be ideal, so if, as management or supervisor, you fail to assign that person, don’t expect any output.
“Public sector managers must sometimes study and apply the strict compliance practice systems as private companies; if you fail to achieve targets consistently, you face the music.”
Mr. Koomson also reiterated discrimination in the labour market and said that unfair treatment must end.
“2024 is the labour union action year,” and questioned the reason for some workers retiring on their full salary with all other entitlements while others on virtually nothing.
“These are errors and unfair treatment on the labour front, which we must all work together to correct this year.”
The GFL Secretary General said, “We all work for the same state; either we all retire on our full salaries and other benefits, or we all go home without it; the animal farm policies must give way.”
The GFL Secretary-General expressed concern that while create, loot, and share go on over the years, the labour leaders continued to fight and move towards different directions, seemingly pursuing the same agenda, adding, “Organised labour must unite now, or we all perish soon”.
GNA
FA/CA
Jan. 3, 2024
Caption: Pictures attached
