The Employment and Labour Relations Minister has urged the Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) to equip themselves appropriately to fit into the new work environment dominated by technology.

Ignatius Baffour Awuah said it is a must for all to embrace the fourth industrial revolution which has changed the way humans live and work.

He said, “The world of work is in a state of flux, changing as never before, driven by inexorable forces that are heavily impacting manufacturing and trade, global supply chains and the global economy.” 

Speaking at the 12^th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of PUWU last Tuesday, at the PUWU Hospitality and Conference Centre at Kasoa in the Central Region.

The conference was held under the theme “Repositioning the Union in the face of emerging challenges in the world of work.”

Mr Baffour Awuah said one key challenge that trade unions face is to encourage and empower their members to immerse themselves in the new trends and sharpen their skills technical knowhow. 

He said the theme chosen by the Union for the conference was in conformity with current global happenings and that it was a discussion that would yield collective benefits for members of the trade unions. 

“The PUWU vision of repositioning the Union in the face of emerging challenges should be well embraced for the collective benefit of members”, he said.

According to him, as technology advances and modern scientific solutions abound, there is competition between companies that adopt new technologies to take the lead and impact the workplace and businesses that may fail and fizzle out. It is therefore incumbent on labour unions and their members to reposition themselves. 

He reiterated that the youth in particular and other segments of society must be equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge to take advantage of the new technologies for enterprise development.

The Minister also called for a combined effort between the public and private sectors in developing the country’s national technological infrastructure to improve the livelihoods of citizens.

Speaking on the effect of COVID-19 on employment in the country and the world at large, Mr Baffour Awuah said the pandemic has opened the world’s eyes to technologies which make it clear that many jobs of today will be automated tomorrow and this will have profound consequences for the people particularly the youth, unskilled labour force and technology-averse persons. 

He said government through the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations will continue to ensure that there is decent work for all Ghanaians while their rights at the workplace is protected under all favourable conditions.

The Employment Minister added that all these cannot be achieved without the cooperation and collaboration of all social partners including workers and organized labour. 

“Government through the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), has the vision of ensuring decent work for all Ghanaians. It is to provide opportunities for productive work; ensure that workers enjoy their rights at work; provide access to social protection; and provide the platform for social dialogue to address workers’ issues”, he added.