Last week, the world marked a day for workers and the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) conveyed its unflinching support and solidarity to the labour movement in Ghana and Africa for the unique role they have played over the years to redress the grievances of workers against the backdrop of oppression, inequalities and social injustice. The party also paid tribute to departed Trade Unionists whose great sacrifice, courage and fortitude in the liberation struggle has brought Ghana this far and continue to inspire a younger generation. This was because of the CPP’s belief in the welfare and empowerment of working people, and the recognition that they are the largest single group of people upon whose toil and sweat the political, economic and social fortunes of our nation hangs. Their sacrifice has unfortunately not yielded the desired results and workers and farmers, who play a vital role as indispensable agents of change, are confronted with all kinds of socioeconomic problems: • The labour and industrial laws of the country are not friendly to them in respect of their employment, legitimate rights, social protection and dialogue. • Many workers are not satisfied with the daily minimum wage. • A number of them are not offered appointment letters even when they are on the job for a long time, let alone their social security contributions, annual leave or rent allowance. • Employees are dismissed as and when the employer decides to do so or when they are sick for a longer period without any compensation, or a reliable avenue to seek redress. • There are no benefits to offset workers’ hardships when they are redundant. • There are no training opportunities available to the unemployed, especially those in the informal sector to update their skills. • Farmers are mostly engaged in peasant-related subsistence farming with little or no assistance. • Many people find it hard to live on a meagre state pension when they are on retirement, to name but a few. The depths of all these are foreign financial institutions controlling Ghana’s economy, pervasive unemployment, high cost of living and the division of the country along partisan and ethnic interest. In view of the many social problems, the labour movement is an appropriate, relevant and necessary countervailing force against all the negative elements in our society. The Trade Union Movement and their allies under a progressive leadership are capable of bringing about the real change that Ghana is desperately looking for. They have the potential to rescue the country’s hard-won independence from the shackles of neo-colonialism and bring pride and dignity to its people. The CPP will continue to engage in constructive dialogue and collaboration with labour, with which it shares common beliefs and values to address the problems of workers. The party will evaluate the labour market; review the Labour Law and work out the best possible strategy to improve the working conditions, rights and security of workers so that they can develop their potential freely and contribute their quota to national development. There is the need for a reasonable daily living wage to replace the current national ‘deadly’ minimum wage. Like most of the general laws of the country, the daily national minimum wage agreed by the tripartite committee, though unrealistic, is yet to see any proper enforcement. It will also be in the interest of workers to introduce low-cost housing scheme with the aim of helping workers to obtain affordable accommodation which will fit their status. The rent law should be reviewed and vigorously enforced to mitigate the hardships that workers go through with rent advance. Creating employment opportunities should be the focus of every government. This can be done through an ambitious programme of development of the country’s productive resources on the basis of science and technology, the establishment of state enterprises to create jobs, especially in the agro-industry to satisfy domestic food security and value added export. It is the duty of every responsible government to increase Ghana’s export earnings by diversifying the sources of these earnings, and also decrease the value of Ghana’s imports, when necessary. Subsistence farmers should be organized into large-scale agricultural production cooperatives and assisted with modern technology to produce enough to satisfy local consumption and export. Extravagant expenditure and operations of government on unproductive projects, which have high import content, should be stopped. By these measures and others, the country can make some appreciable national savings for social development and improve the living standard of the masses. This is the essence of the philosophy of self-reliance which will lead the country to its economic salvation. The Ghanaian worker needs the spirit of self-reliance, like that demonstrated during the First Republic under a CPP government to enable him or her have confidence in every endeavour and aspiration to prosper and contribute to society at large. As a sovereign nation, Ghana does not need to wait for foreign assistance before she can stand on her feet. The broad masses of the working people are the driving force behind the success of every nation; they are the movers and shakers of every development. When given the mandate by the electorate, the CPP will provide the relevant political leadership capable of improving the living standard of all Ghanaians, especially workers and farmers who produce the material wealth of the nation. The party will encourage good labour relations and make the labour unions vital institutions of national development. Dr. Adolf Lutterodt CPP Shadow Cabinet member for Natural Resources