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Labour and Employment Minister commends public sector progress, announces new labour initiatives

The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has lauded the significant strides made in the public sector over the past years, attributing much of the progress to the stability in the Sahara region and the Ministry's efforts in resolving labour-related issues.


Addressing Journalists in Accra on Wednesday, Hon. Baffour Awuah highlighted that the sector has remained peaceful and stable, which has positively impacted the country's labour front.


The Minister commended outgoing union leaders for their cooperation with the government, which has contributed to this peaceful environment, and extended his best wishes for their future endeavours.


In 2023, public sector workers received increased salaries, reflecting the government's commitment to improving worker welfare.


The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) also conducted salary payroll monitoring last year, resulting in the saving of over GHC 3 billion, a significant boost to the national budget.


Hon. Baffour Awuah revealed that the Ministry has undertaken a review of several laws and acts to align with the changing labour landscape, aiming to further enhance the sector.


He acknowledged that the current labour act has served the country well, helping to sanitize the labour space.


However, he announced that a new labour bill has been developed to better suit the modern global labour environment, which will soon be presented to Cabinet for consideration.


On employment creation, the Minister noted that 116,089 beneficiaries have been engaged through the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) modules.


Since its inception, a total of 732,898 individuals have benefited from various YEA programmes, providing a substantial boost to employment in the country.


Additionally, Hon. Baffour Awuah mentioned the establishment of the Ghanaians European Center, an initiative aimed at discouraging Ghanaians from travelling outside the country in search of greener pastures.


He also highlighted the Ministry's efforts in launching a Green Jobs Sensitization programme, which has already created over 20,000 jobs in the Green Jobs sector, further demonstrating the government's commitment to employment creation.


The Minister also touched on the progress made by the Pensions Regulatory Authority, noting that the government has resolved long-standing pension account issues with pension workers since 2017.


This resolution, he noted marks a significant achievement in safeguarding the financial security of Ghana's workforce.


Hon. Baffour Awuah concluded by reaffirming the government's dedication to rolling out further initiatives to create employment and enhance the welfare of workers across the country.


Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

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