General News of Monday, 23 May 2005

Source: GNA

Harsh global economic order blamed for workers poverty

Accra, May 23, GNA- Alhaji Bawah A. Salifu, Deputy Secretary of the Public Utility Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress, has attributed the inability of workers in developing countries to enjoy realistic wages to the harsh world economic order. He stressed that the needs of most workers in Ghana and other developing countries could not be met by employers and governments as a result of the unfair global economic reality.

Alhaji Salifu who was speaking with the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Monday noted that the annual meagre increment in wages was not helping workers who are ambitious to improve on their competence to secure well paid jobs.

"Without higher qualification there is the likelihood that a number of workers will be elbowed out of job in future structural reforms, he said.

Alhaji Salifu asked workers to initiate small-scale projects that could cushion them against the tough economic environment and asked them to form credit unions to be able to access financial support for such ventures.

They should also develop a culture of savings to invest in projects that would guarantee them a secured future when they retire from active service.