<<Print>>

The International Trades Union Confederation (ITUC), on Monday lauded the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), for spearheading the rights of workers, and for being the official mouthpiece of unionized labour in dealing with employers. The Confederation further commended Mr Kofi Asamoah, GTUC General Secretary for playing eminent roles at the global level for organised labour. Ms Sharon Burrow ITUC General Secretare who made the commendation, said ITUC is the biggest democratic force in the world that represent the voice of workers and the ordinary people, adding that the global challenge now is to build the capacity of the workers. She urged GTUC to ensure that workers were properly organised in the country and that there was transparency in their dealings. Ms Burrow, who made the remark during a meeting with the GTUC Steering Committee in Accra, said the GTUC�s success story deserved commendation and should be told to the rest of the world. The ITUC General Secretary observed that of the 2.9 billion workers in the world, 60 per cent were in the formal sector, while the rest were in the informal sector where there was no social security and was full of violence. She said trades unions would continue to grow and to fight for democracy and the rights of workers, declaring that ITUC would continue to standard in partnership with GTUC for the benefit of workers in Ghana. Ms Burrow announced that in May, ITUC would be organising a congress that would bring together over 1,000 participants across the globe to discuss the priority for labour movements. She said �ITUC will continue to focus on the central ambition of �Building Workers� Power� to ensure we have the democratic power to realise rights and shape a world that delivers sustainable jobs, secure incomes and social protection for both men and women�. She said the daily minimum wage globally must be equivalent to the daily living wage, adding that when women were offered more employment opportunities in a country, the gross domestic products of that country also went up rapidly. She said there was the need for the provision of affordable healthcare and education for all. She bemoaned the flight of migrant workers to Qatar, and urged the authorities to allow the formation of labour unions in that country. Mr Asamaoh said challenges facing the GTUC included employment insecurity, and dwindling membership.