Bolgatanga (UE), Sept. 12, GNA - Ghana's human resource must not be negligently put at risk due to poor and defective industrial and work systems, Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has said.

Mr Asamoah said most workers in the country survived on margins of subsistence and were not able to secure the necessities of life that got worse soon after retirement.

He said this in a speech read for him by a representative of Ghana TUC, Togbui Adom Dranyi II at the climax of the second annual week celebration of the Health Services Workers Union of Ghana (HSWU) of TUC in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region on Monday.

Speaking on the celebration theme, 93Social Protection - the Backbone to Quality Life Before and During Retirement", he said, social protection was about the provision of social services for members of society to enjoy.

He said the incidence of poverty in the country was a reflection of the low incomes people earned either in the formal or informal sectors and asked the Government to do more to improve the situation for parents to be able to provide the needs of their families.

He said challenges workers faced regarding social protection was how to improve the existing benefits of social protection provided under the new pension scheme and workplace benefits in collective agreements".

Mr Asamoah also called on trades unions to strengthen their capacities to ensure that they played appropriate roles in extending coverage on social protection and increasing its benefits.

Mr Abu Kuntulo, General Secretary, HWSU of Ghana TUC, said the Union had set aside a week each year to drum home their mission and vision, and to showcase the success as well as provide a platform for members to show solidarity for the ideals and values of the Union.

Dr Koku Awoonor Williams, Regional Director of Health Services, Ghana Health Service (GHS), congratulated the Union for the immense contribution of service over the years in health delivery whilst promoting discipline and mutual understanding among members.

Dr Awoonor called for increased commitment and unity to their mandate in enhancing the quality of life of people particularly the poor, the excluded and vulnerable groups, saying that in doing so, the country would achieve its goal of attaining the MDGs related to health.

Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, commended the HSWU for their hard work to ensure comfort and security in times of retirement.

He said government continued to acknowledge the performance of the sector in the management of industrial relations and for that matter their contribution to the socio economic development of the country.

"This gives the government the hope that if we support the efforts of the trades unions, together with employers, we would be consolidating industrial peace being a prerequisite for increased productivity and holistic socio-economic development".

He congratulated the HSWU of TUC for their dedicated services and winning this year's second Public Service International Trade Union award, an indication of true leadership and diligence.

The occasion was also crowned with the commissioning of the Union's new regional office allocated by the Ghana TUC, the owner of the building