By D.I. Laary
Koforidua, May 02, GNA – Organised Labour has commended President John Dramani Mahama and his government for renewed engagement with workers but flagged that Ghana’s improving macroeconomic indicators are yet to translate into decent jobs, fair wages, and sustainable livelihoods.
Despite improving macroeconomic indicators, labour leaders cautioned that unemployment, low pay, and job insecurity remained widespread, underscoring the need to shift policy focus from stability to employment-led growth.
Addressing thousands of workers from 32 unions at the 2026 National May Day parade, Mr Joshua Ansah, TUC Secretary-General, said Ghana was nearing a critical point on employment, especially among young people, and urged a shift from macroeconomic stability toward job-creating growth that lifts living standards.
Mr Ansah said sustained dialogue between labour and government was critical to maintaining industrial harmony and supporting national development.
Referring to the theme of the celebration, “Pivoting to Growth, Jobs and Sustainable Livelihoods Beyond Macroeconomic Stability,” he said economic stability on its own was insufficient, arguing that the effectiveness of economic policy should be judged by its ability to create jobs, raise incomes and secure long-term livelihoods.
Despite decades of economic growth, Mr Ansah said young people educated at high cost to their families and the state were struggling to find jobs suited to their qualifications, with many graduates waiting five years or more for their first employment.
He noted that the employment challenge extended beyond unemployment, noting that many Ghanaian workers remained underpaid, insecure, and inadequately protected.
Citing official data, he said overall unemployment stood at 13%, youth unemployment at 34%, and nearly 80% of employed people worked in the informal sector.
Applications from more than 500,000 young people for limited security service recruitment, he said, underscored the severity of the problem.
“These workers are employed full time but struggle to afford food, rent, transport, healthcare, utilities and education,” warning that growing numbers of educated but jobless young people posed a social risk if not addressed.
Organised Labour traced the employment crisis to Ghana’s economic policy direction over the past four decades.
He said policies adopted since the mid-1980s prioritised GDP growth and macroeconomic stability on the assumption that employment would follow, an expectation that had not been realised.
Ghana recorded average economic growth of about 5.2% between 1986 and 2025, peaking at 15% in 2011 and averaging 9.6% between 2010 and 2013, he said.
While inflation has moderated and the currency has stabilised, he said, job creation has lagged behind.
Drawing a contrast with China, Ansah said China’s economic transformation was powered mainly by manufacturing led growth that created large-scale employment.
Ghana’s growth, he said, has instead depended on natural resources, raw material exports, and external support, which generate far fewer quality jobs.
He urged the government to prioritise manufacturing and agro-processing to increase employment, arguing that Ghana must produce more of what it consumes.
Heavy reliance on imports, he said, was undermining local industries and exporting jobs.
He criticised trade policies that, in his view, disadvantaged domestic producers and warned that, without reform, initiatives such as the 24-hour economy risk becoming channels for selling imported goods rather than supporting local production.
The TUC also called for stronger support for the private sector as the main driver of long-term job creation.
He urged intervention in credit markets, noting that lending rates remained high despite lower inflation, and suggested capping the gap between lending and deposit rates to encourage investment.
On workers’ welfare, Ansah said low wages remained a major concern and cited the daily minimum wage of GH¢21.78 and public sector minimum salaries equivalent to about $75 a month, saying, they were insufficient to meet basic living costs.
He called for an income policy anchored on a living wage.
He said pension coverage remained low and highly unequal, with some pensioners receiving as little as GH¢400 a month while others earned more than GH¢200,000.
He called for urgent pension reform and broad stakeholder consultation.
Mr Ansah also raised concerns about labour rights violations, including intimidation of workers, misuse of private employment agencies and unclear employer accountability.
He warned against increasing politicisation of appointments and promotions in the public sector, saying it threatened national cohesion.
He welcomed the government’s decision to revoke LI 2462, which allowed mining in forest reserves, but cautioned that illegal mining continued to damage rivers and forests, urging stronger enforcement to protect the environment.
Ansah also called for faster employment of trained nurses and teachers, saying scenes of unemployed professionals protesting for work were troubling, particularly amid staff shortages in health and education.
Turning to agriculture, he said cocoa farmers were facing hardship due to lower producer prices and delays in purchasing stockpiled cocoa, urging government intervention to support farmers and licensed buying companies.
Mr Ansah called on labour and government to work together to reset Ghana’s development path, placing employment, dignity, and sustainable livelihoods at the centre of economic policy.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei
Reporting by D.I. Laary
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