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| Trades Union Congress (TUC) - Ghana |
Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has slammed the President Mills-led government for failing woefully to create employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth roaming the streets of the major towns and cities in the country.
According to the official mouthpiece of unionized labour in Ghana, without a doubt, employment creation is the single most important challenge facing Ghana.
The spectre of young, energetic Ghanaians roaming the streets of our major towns and cities is worrying. It portends real danger to social cohesion and political stability.
The Secretary-General of Ghana-TUC, Kofi Asamoah, made this known at the opening of the maiden National Youth Conference in Accra.
He did not mince words when he audaciously stated that: "Our nascent democracy cannot thrive when the economy fails to provide decent and productive employment opportunities to the people, particularly the young ones".
Ironically, Mr. Asamoah lamented that employment is on top of the list of issues that attract the least attention of policy makers beyond the usual rhetoric that precedes election.
Explaining further, the seasoned trade unionist was quick to stress that: "The situation of youth unemployment currently is particularly alarming in our country and that urgent efforts are needed to provide real jobs, including apprenticeships and internships linked with training opportunities that provide qualifications, deepen work related skills and improve employability".
Mr. Asamoah, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians as a matter of urgency to begin to judge the performance of political parties and their governments by the number of joys they are able to create.
Touching on the theme of the conference 'Preparing the Youth of Today for a Vibrant Trade Union Movement Tomorrow', he observed that they have witnessed the waning of youth participation and activism in trade unions in the country, believing that trade unions will see enthusiasm and commitment of young people to trade unionism in Ghana, when young workers feel protected and encouraged to participate in trade union activities.
The United Nations (UN) estimates that about one billion young people join the world's labour market in the next decade, while in Ghana, about 250,000 young people seek to enter the labour market every year, according to the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research's (ISSER'S) 2009 report.
These young people are the next generation of workers and the future of the trade union movement.
The Secretary-General of Ghana-TUC noted that there had been growing recognition of the importance of young people's participation in trade union activities, particularly in decision making processes over the years.
The Ghana TUC had encouraged and created space for young people to contribute to the progress of the labour movement, hence the establishment of the youth desk in Ghana TUC.
Presenting a paper -'Youth in the Labour Market', the Research and Education Officer of Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS), Bright Adu-Adjei revealed that between 1998-2008, global youth employment increased by 6.8%, while youth population increased by 14.4%.
In Ghana unemployment affects the youth disproportionally more than the adults, as 25% of youth are unemployed.
The National Vice Chairman of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana who chaired the function appealed to his colleague young workers to broaden their horizon by reading widely.
He was quick to add that; "we must all be passionate about knowledge acquisition. It will make you tactful and abreast with issues".
For her part, the Ghana TUC Youth Desk Officer, Freda Frimpong indicated that the TUC was engaging students in the various tertiary institutions to inculcate in them the ideas of trade unionism. This effort, she said was in a way to encourage young people to appreciate the functioning of the trade union movement and how they could position themselves in the fight for decent work when they enter the world of work.
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh (20 December 2011).
