Dr Yaw Baah, Acting Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, on Tuesday called for unity among the various labour unions, in order to overcome the struggle against poor economic and unhealthy working conditions.
He said the ongoing reforms to correct distortions in the pay structure required the unions to forge a united front to be able to succeed in the struggle.
Dr Baah, who was speaking at forum to mark the Founders' day celebration of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU), said despite years of selfless devotion to duty by public workers, reward systems that benefit a few of the privileged class still persist.
"There is the need for continuous struggle, unity and dedication to duty if we are to succeed in our quest for a better condition for workers," he said.
The celebration forms part of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the PSWU, which was formed on June 22nd 1959, when four divisional unions made up of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Customs and Excise Services, Ghana Meteorological Workers Union and the Cocoa Produce Inspection decided to join forces to form one single workers Union, at a meeting at GBC.
The Union that emerged from the collaboration was then called Government Clerical and Technical Workers Union, which later became the PSWU in 1964.
Dr Baah said it was necessary for the present crop of labour leaders to learn from the selfless sacrifices and devotion of the founding fathers, who in the desire to ensure the collective gain, had to give up their positions in the respective divisional unions.
Mr Abraham Okine, General Secretary PSWU, said employers and employees must work together in harmony, mutual trust and respect to achieve higher productivity to assist the country's economic recovery programme.
He appealed to government to come to the negotiation table early as proposed by organised labour, adding that any delay in salary increase in 2009, would worsen the plight of public sector workers.
Mr William Ampem-Darko, Director General of GBC, called on the Tripartite Committee comprising labour, employer and government to display mutual respect to each other and establish guidelines for wage negotiations through consensus, taking into account employer and worker concerns, and the overall national aim of sustainable economic development.
Two of the founding members, Mr Frederick Asante and Mr B.K. Shang-Quartey also called for unity and selfless devotion to ensure that the needs of the members are met.