The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has called on organised labour to engender a proactive labour front in 2023 to effectively and efficiently fight for the interest of workers in the country.

Mr Abraham Koomson, GFL Secretary General, said labour unrest or dissatisfaction displayed by workers this year demonstrated a sign of frustration, a sense of cheating, and other actions by policymakers and the government, which were inimical for the growth of employees.

He said the labour front must unite and confront anyone, including the government, and the management of establishments, whose actions or inactions are not in the interest of the worker.

“Labour unions must not sit again, we must rise up and fight for our fair share of the national cake,” he said.

Mr Koomson, who was speaking at the Ghana News Agency Platform, 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 in the labour front which we must all work together to correct next year,” he 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 the create, loot and share go on over the years, the labour leaders continued to fight and move toward different directions seemingly pursuing the same agenda, adding “organised labour must unite now or we all perish soon”.  

He said because of disunity on the labour front, successive governments had exploited the division and infiltrated into the labour leadership to pursue political interest.

Mr Koomson said it was inappropriate for any labour union to put their political interests above the needs of workers and called for pragmatic solutions to the disjointed labour front in 2023.

He condemned people who occupy positions solely for their selfish interest, saying "Some people come to the union for something different, they come to make money without due regard of the people who have given them the mandate”.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager, called on organised labour to deepen its relations with the media in 2023, “as the media in a modern world has become a more powerful tool for labour advocacy”.

Mr Ameyibor said labour unions could not achieve set objectives without the active involvement of the media.

“Journalists must not be pushed to the sidelines only to be called upon occasionally when need be. Media is a strategic partner for the development and growth of forces of labour and must be in the centre of organized labour,” he said.