James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has extended warm felicitations to all workers in Ghana on the occasion of the 2020 May Day celebration.
This year’s celebration was held yesterday.
In a statement issued by James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr, its Ag. General Secretary, CPP
“We salute Ghanaian workers wherever you are, home and abroad, private or public. In this exercise we make special mention of the health and medical allied workers who in many ways have kept the hopes of many alive. You have demonstrated love and sensitivity for the nation.”
It says “no nation or organization has prospered without an active working population.”
“From the very foundations of knitting this nation together, the place of workers was established.”
“It was in recognition of the role and phenomenal contribution of workers that the founding President donated on behalf of the State to workers the Trades Union Congress, TUC headquarters in Accra to coordinate and administer the affairs of the union,” the party added.
“Finding expression in the 19th century industrial revolution, America’s Federation of Organized Trades and Labour Unions at their 1884 Chicago convention proclaimed May 1, 1886 to begin the celebration of labour rights and the eight-hour day work.”
“It thus became a worldwide culture including Ghana. The observation of this day in 2020 has met the pandemic, COVID-19.”
“The year 2020 and the incidence of the novel COVID-19 present the world with the challenge of rethinking everything including work, the economies of the world, structure and style of governance as well as our unrestrained exploitation of natural resources for the use of humankind.The world will never be the same again.”
“We must part ways with unguided noisy agitations, and in their place, build consultations and consensuses with sincere and honest conversations tolerant of our diversity. We call on the workers of Ghana never to remain silent nor act with impunity but express your views in respectable and appealing tones.”
“Never must anyone trample on the rights of workers and go unpunished or unquestioned.”
“While advancing the rights of workers, we urge you to be responsible in carrying out your part in building the nation. Rights come with responsibilities and it is incumbent on our labour front to be conscious of that.”
“Workers must not only be concerned with the material gains of salary increases or bonuses but you must also seek training and retraining to add to your knowledge and skills to compete better in today’s ever competitive job market.”
“COVID 19 has also introduced the necessity of self-reliance as individual citizens and the nation. Our town and country planning units must revisit allowing backyard gardening which effectively allow for growing some of the basic foodstuffs consumed at home.”
“Every worker must cultivate the habit of growing some of the things we love to eat at home. We must reorient our appetite and diets to eat what we grow to reduce the burden of import which makes less meaning of our independence as a people.”
“In saluting workers, the CPP desires to see government advancing the interests of Ghanaian workers especially in budgeting, signing contracts and enforcing the Labour Law. Government owes that duty to the workers and citizenry at large to ensure a harmonious relationship among our people especially from the bullying hands of some expatriate employers.”
By Melvin Tarlue