Some workers who trooped to the Independence Square on Monday, May 1, 2017 to observe the International Workers Day were as usual seen with placards which expressed their concerns over working conditions and issues that affect workers’ welfare and productivity in Ghana.

Messages on their placards centred on a range of issues. Notable among them was lack of motivation for midwives, concession of the Electricity Company of Ghana and the dismissal of 32 staff of TV3 for allegedly engaging in a series of actions which management described as a “breach of the ethics and legal requirements” regarding the employer/employee relationship.

Some of the messages on the placards were, “Proud to be a midwife”, “midwives need rural incentives”, “TV3, please respect workers’ rights. They deserve better”, “TV3, workers right matter and so are the rights of the famous 32”, “Who owns TV3?”, “Concessions in our country have failed”, “Mr President, remember your promise”, “Defend Ghana and save ECG”, “Ghanaians are capable in handling ECG affairs”, “Concession has no success story”, among others.

There have been measures taken by various labour groups to press home their demand for improvement in their working conditions but it appears no significant change has been effected. Although it may not be the solution to their woes, both public and private sector workers deem the holding of placards as a means of registering their protests with the hope that their conditions of service would be better.