Tema, Accra – The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has emphasized the need for policies to revive collapsed factories, which he says is a top priority for workers under the NDC administration.
According to Mr. Koomson, workers played a crucial role in the change of government, as the policies of the previous administration failed to address their concerns.
“We played a role as workers in the change of government. Things were not right under the previous government because the previous policies under the past government were not helping,” he said.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu show with host Nana Dogbe, Abraham Koomson expressed concerns about the state of the job market, highlighting the challenges faced by workers and employers alike.
“Jobs collapsing, unemployment, almost every week workers are sent home, manufacturers and employers are complaining of hardships,” he said.
He added that the GFL is closely monitoring the steps taken by the government to revive the country’s collapsed factories, as this is a critical factor in improving employment opportunities.
“As the workers’ organization, our interest is on the policies in place to revive collapsed factories. It can’t come overnight, but we want to know the steps taken by the government to bring back the collapsed factories,” Mr. Koomson said.
He also pointed out that even the few factories still in operation are struggling under the weight of excessive taxation, which is hindering their ability to function effectively.
“The few factories that are existing, I can say there are serious challenges that have to do with the multiple taxes imposed on them,” he explained.
Abraham Koomson revealed that the Ghana Federation of Labour has already sent petitions to key government ministries, including Trade, Agribusiness, Industry, Finance, and Food and Agriculture, to present their concerns and ideas.
“We have already sent a petition to the Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister, then another one to the Finance Minister himself, then another one to the Food and Agriculture Minister, and we expect an invite to help with ideas—that’s our interest,” he said.
He stressed that the focus should be on implementing practical policies to make the 24-hour economy a reality, rather than relying on political slogans.
“Our interest is helping this 24-hour economy, and it shouldn’t be just the normal slogan the NPP used,” Mr. Koomson said.
He concluded by emphasizing that slogans alone cannot create jobs, urging the government to focus on actionable policies that address unemployment and revitalize the economy.
“Slogans can’t create jobs; we want policies that will help the 24-hour economy materialize because there’s no jobs,” he said.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites) / Ahotoronline.com / Ghana
