ICU General Secretary, Morgan Ayawine flanked by his deputies, Samuel Ananga (left) and Emmanuel Benimah (right).
Workers have been urged to use the myriad of economic challenges that engulfed the country in the year that has gone by as a stepping stone to economic viability.
“We cannot discount or gloss over the economic challenges; nonetheless, we should not let that discourage us, but rather we should use it as a stepping stone to make a strong come back to face and overcome those challenges and make this year economically viable in our individual, corporate, social, and national lives,” the workers were told.
General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), Morgan Ayawine, gave the advice when he addressed members of the union in his New Year’s message.
He said it is only through hard work that, “we can be seen as having fought the good fight as gallant workers and succeeded in rebuilding our national economy for the benefit of all.”
Mr. Ayawine said ‘hard work breaks no bone’ hence workers should continue to work harder for the achievement of organizational and national goals for the full recovery of the national economy.
“My colleagues in labour and cherished members of the great and famous Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), Ghana, I welcome you all to 2023 and wish you all the best for this year,” he said.
He said the year 2023 has the prospect of being successful adding that as workers and nation builders, they must play their roles with zeal and dedication to make it succeed.
“Having rested a bit from the hard work that characterized our labour last year, let us resume work, this year, with renewed vigour that would enable us to help our employers achieve their organizational goals in line with ICU’s longstanding maxim, “The Employer’s Vision, Our Union’s Concern”.
He stressed the need for stronger co-existence between workers and employers to achieve their common vision and more importantly, all aspects of nation-building.
“In the same vein, we call on the government, the single largest employer, and other employers to ensure equitable distribution of the cake for a reciprocal gesture of workers and an increase in productivity.”
He asked the government to sustain the measures put in place to ensure the stabilization of the Cedi against its major trading currencies to aid doing business in the country and to reduce prices of goods and services to ameliorate the economic hardship imposed on Ghanaians.
“Similarly, steps should be taken to ensure a sustainable fuel price reduction to reflect in the cost of transport fares in the country,” he added.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri