The Ghana Federation of Labor (GFL) has urged the government to strengthen broad-based engagement with Organized Labor in 2023 in order to decrease labor agitations, discontent, demonstrations, and industrial actions.

The GFL Secretary General, Mr. Abraham Koomson, made the announcement on Friday at the Ghana News Agency Industrial News Hub Platform in Tema. He claimed that the management of institutions by the government and its agencies directly affected whether there was industrial unrest or labor peace.

He stated that in order for Ghana to emerge from its economic crisis the next year, the government needs forge alliances and have open dialogue with labor leaders.

2023 offered the government an opportunity to listen to labour leaders as social partners to create a platform for deliberations and working together to accelerate Ghana’s development and ease economic burdens, he said.

Mr Koomson said the rigid posture of some government officials most often triggered unrest.

“The government needs to be willing to share ideas and involve social partners in deliberations on economic matters of the country instead of keeping conversations within its domains and seeking for help when issues get worse,” he said.

“Social partners can help the government in analysing key development issues and avoid situations like going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for assistance.”

Mr Koomson explained that social partnerships would accelerate inclusive growth and transform the Ghanaian economy, create opportunities, and create jobs to improve the living standards of the citizenry.

He said labour would continue to fight for what was right for employees, including better working conditions and value addition to the workforce to promote development.

He called for unity within the labour front to collectively fight for the interests of workers, adding: “We must rise up and fight for our fair share of the national cake”.

Mr Koomson said because of disunity among the labour unions successive governments had exploited the divisions and infiltrated into the leadership to pursue their political interests instead of fighting against labour injustice.

It was inappropriate for any labour union to put their political interests above the needs of workers, he said, and called for pragmatic solutions to the disjointed labour front.

He questioned why some workers retired on their full salary with other entitlements while others retired on virtually nothing.

“These are errors and unfair treatment in the labour front, which we must all work together to correct going forward”.

“We all work for the same state, either we all retire on our full salaries and other benefits or we all go home without it. The animal farm policies must give way”.