Players in the maritime industry including the Ghana Ports Harbours Authority, Maritime Labour, Ghana Shippers Authority, Tema Shipyard, Ghana Dock Labour Company Ltd, Maritime and Dockworkers Union of TUC, Ghana Railways Company marshalled their labour force to join in the May Day parade that was held in Accra.
The general labour force present, marched ceremoniously in groups while they displayed on placards some suggestions covering a variety of concerns they wanted government to address so as to improve the maritime industry.
Some of the placards read: Mr President, stevedore workers are losing their jobs because many companies are chasing fewer cargoes, Mr President don’t leave the port in foreign hands, Mr President, workers of Tema Shipyard appreciate your decision to maintain the shipyard management under GPHA, His. Excellency kindly fast track the legal title of Tema Shipyard to GPHA to fully and legally manage the facility, Ghanaians deserve a better and efficient railway system, Mr President, Bauxite and Manganese are waiting for revamping of Western rail line among others.
The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the Trade Union Congress Freda Frimpong, called for government’s intervention to avert the trend of having large number of public servants who have had their jobs terminated after being declared redundant.
“The few Ghanaians who have some form of decent employment are constantly being threatened with redundancy,” she lamented.
The Regional Minister, Ishmael Ashitey also urged the workers to reenergize and come on board the global agenda of sustainable development.
“This parade should indeed encourage all working people in Ghana to join forces with Government and help generate the ideas, policies, strategies, actions, programmes, and commitment that would facilitate the growing of the national economy,” he stated.
Echoing some of the concerns raised by the labour force, GPHA’s Junior Staff Chairman, Emmanuel Nii Quaye, said the government should commit to ensuring occupational security for employees of government institutions.
“The security of the workers in the port or GPHA workers is what we are praying because every now and then staff fall on the Union to try to know whether they are secured in the next future,” he said.
The Maritime Labour were beautifully represented and marched at the parade, followed by the GPHA Union, the Tema Shipyard, and Ghana Dock Labour Ltd.