At Takoradi, some twenty-one workers and companies were presented with awards, including three special awards at this year's Western Regional May Day celebration.

The award winners included Takoradi International Power Company (TICO), Mr. Steven Osei-Ansah of the Health Services Workers Union, Mr. Frank Krakue of the Construction and Building Workers Union and Mr. Seth Twum of General Transport Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union.

Others are Mr. Victor Bitar of the Timber and Wood Workers Union, Mr. John Ansah of Railway Workers Union and Miss Agatha Dawson of Public Services Workers Union.

Placard-bearing workers who took part in the parade were drawn from organizations, including Shell Ghana Limited, TICO, Volta River Authority, Internal Revenue Service, VAT Service and the Takoradi Flour Mills Limited.

The rest were the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Commercial Bank, Foreman Ghana Limited and the Takoradi Gas Company Limited.

Some of the placards read; "Respect Workers Rights", "Pay Living Wage", "Union Busting is Shameful Stop it" and "Pay workers well". Mr. Anthony Evans Amoah, Western Regional Minister, who read the President's address, took the salute.

He expressed happiness that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union have amicably settled their differences after two years or so of disagreements.

Mr. Amoah urged the leaderships and ranks of both groups to sustain this jubilee spirit of accommodation and co-operation and pull together to confront problems and challenges facing them and the country. Mr. Jonathan Frempong-Manso, Acting Regional Secretary of the TUC who read the address of the Secretary-General of the Union, said the union fully supports the National Youth Employment Programme.

He said the union would soon conduct a survey on labour market among the youth to assist the government to review the programme. Mr. Frempong-Manso noted the programme could not solve the country employment problems and the government needs to do more to rectify the unemployment situation.