The leadership of the government delegation, the Ghana Trades Union Congress and the Ghana Employers’ Association attending the 100th Session of the ILO in Geneva has been elected to serve on the Governing Board of the UN body.
UN experts in Geneva say that it is highly unusual for all the three parties from any single country to be elected simultaneously to serve on the Governing Board.
An official statement said they attributed Ghana’s unusual performance to the commendable efforts the country had made in recent years to enhance decent work for her citizens, including efforts to abolish child labour as well as the growing stature of Ghana in the affairs of the comity of nations.
Ghana will be represented by Mr E. T. Mensah, Minister for Employment and Social Welfare who led the Government delegation, Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress and Mr Terry Darko, President of the Ghana Employers’ Association and Managing Director of Mechanical Lloyd, who led employers to the conference.
The statement said Mr Mensah, in an address to the Conference, reiterated the view of Ghana that “social justice cannot be achieved if the world continues to develop in a manner that consciously leaves the developing world behind”.
He said that the recent social instability in some countries had confirmed the belief that peace and social cohesion depended on the socio-economic wellbeing of the people, including access to decent living standards and availability of decent employment opportunities.
While commending the ILO for its commitment in addressing these issues over the years, Mr Mensah urged the world body to step up its advocacy role to promote fair and balanced international trade, and support Africa’s efforts to develop and transform her vulnerable economy for the benefit of its people.
He called on the ILO especially to recognise the potential of the huge informal economy in Africa and formulate strategies that would halt its marginalization.
Mr Mensah expressed regret about “budgetary injustice” that labour ministries in developing countries often suffered adding that “whenever our governments are compelled to reduce public expenditure, the Labour ministry often becomes one of the first casualties”.
He therefore called on the ILO to, as a matter of urgency, step up its advocacy to governments to give labour issues a priority in their strategic national development plans.