Former President John Dramani Mahama has commenced a nationwide campaign tour named the ‘Building Ghana Tour’ and is currently in a meeting with officials from the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Accompanied by members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Mahama is set to share his vision for the country during this engagement.
The TUC has expressed its interest in hearing about various thematic areas, including Artificial Intelligence and Ghana’s Disaster Preparedness.
The TUC launched a manifesto; The Workers Manifesto. The TUC believes the manifesto represents the wishes of the Ghanaian worker.
The manifesto is captured under five main areas; a social policy that focuses on human development, economic policy, the labour market, energy and power, and governance. According to the TUC, the manifesto forms a basis for engagements with government, political parties, and civil societies.
On its introductory page, the TUC envisions a Ghana where every citizen is respected, cooperatively working at peace with one another. To earn and develop individual self. It was emphasized that the manifesto was not prescriptive given the complex and fast-changing nature of the issues. The TUC thus by dialoging believes that more engagements to be abreast with the issues will position the country to formulate better policies.
The Manifesto raised concerns about food insecurity in Ghana, affordable housing, sanitation, and water. It also touched on education and training, access to affordable health care, eradication of infant mortality, and malaria, and improving roads to circumvent road accidents. The group also caused concerns about workers’ rights, and social protection for the sick and the aged. TUC believes that Ghana is too blessed to have citizens suffer such hardship.
In economic policy, the micro policy framework must be changed to focus on addressing employment challenges through upgrading public infrastructure and human development. TUC urged that the country shift from rigid policies as recommended by the Bretton Woods institution. I also indicated that the inflation must be controlled from the supply side.
TUC Calls For Constitutional Amendments
TUC is also calling for an overhaul of the mandate and operations of the Central bank. TUC believes that the policy of the bank is misleading the fine brains working there. TUC proposed that rice and poultry imports should be apportioned with high tariffs because they can be produced domestically. Also, the union postulated that the infant industries in Ghana must be protected to make a profit and expand beyond the Ghanaian market.
The Union bemoaned the wealth that has wrecked the fortunes of the country. TUC called for more work to be done on the budget controls of the economy. Emphasizing the unstainable nature of the debts of the country, the nation cannot afford to add any more debt without any proper recourse to diligence. In the agricultural sector, TUC urged that peasant farming must be done away with. The Union believes the sector is directly linked with the industrialization agenda of the country.
Among other issues, TUC insisted that Tema Oil Refinery and Electricity Company of Ghana must not be privatized. In addition TUC called for a constitutional change that reduces executive power and empowers the citizenry more. Also, the Union called for amendments in the Labour Act and other ACTs of parliament to increase the accountability within state institutions.
TUC assured the NDC of strict scrutiny should they fail on their promises after winning power.
Additionally, the TUC has extended an invitation to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, to engage with them on December 5th, 2024.
TUC emphasized its will to actively participate in shaping the discourse into the General Elections 2023.
As part of his endeavours to reclaim power in 2025, Mr. Mahama’s ‘Building Ghana Tour’ serves as a pivotal component of his campaign strategy. In addition, the Union proposed that the informal sector must also be as soon as possible formalize the sector to increase labor protection and access to credit.
A signed and first ever copy of the Workers’ Manifesto was presented to the president later after the presentation.
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