The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), has advised its members to always demand wages due to them and resist any attempts by employers to shortchange them.

According to the General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU-Ghana), Morgan Ayawine, their forefathers have worked tirelessly for close to half a century to achieve the industrial democracy that workers enjoy today.

As such, it's their responsibility to make sure that their contributions to the nation's wealth creation are recognized and valued.

Speaking at the May Day celebration at the Black Star Square, he said "This legacy was bequeathed to us by our forerunners many, many years ago, through their sweat and blood, and we must jealously protect and guard against any employer who may want to short-change labour under the guise of global economic recession, when it has been established that economies and businesses are recovering and the outcomes are positive," he said.

He assured ICU members that they are actively working to secure more jobs.

He also cautioned employers against converting permanent job positions to contract work, stressing that it is not only demotivating but also unacceptable and could have negative consequences for them in the long run.

"Whilst we work collaboratively with our social partners to increase jobs and protect same, it is pertinent to sound a note of caution to employers who indulge in such demeaning practices of converting permanent job positions to casual and contract work in a bid to maximize profit, to halt it completely, as it is not only demotivating but also unacceptable and may eventually backfire on them," he added.

Mr Ayawine also commended employers who empathise with the workers and take steps to alleviate their challenges.