The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has called on organised labour to renew its sense of patriotism and lead productivity initiatives, innovation, and work culture that confront absenteeism, lateness, indifference and corruption.
She maintained that the relationship between the Tripartite Committee and the government must no longer be defined by strikes, rushed negotiations and temporary measures.
“What we need is a strong, trusted system for resolving disagreements before they become a crisis,” she added.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang made the call in Ho last Friday when she opened the 2026 National Labour Conference in the Volta Regional capital.
More than 200 representatives of labour unions, entrepreneurs, members of the Tripartite Committee and directors of various organisations turned up for the two-day event on “Strengthening Industrial Harmony as Catalyst for Accelerated Economic Growth and National Development”.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said Ghana had gone through a serious economic crisis in recent times, but that the current government had put in measures to ensure the economy remained resilient, and they were producing positive results.
The Vice-President said the provision of decent pensions for workers was a matter of great concern for the government, for which reason it remained committed to its obligations to social security.
The 24-Hour Economy and the vigorous efforts by the government to establish reliable and affordable energy and transport systems, as well as moving Ghana towards an export-driven economy, she said, were bold steps meant to transition the economy to greater heights to benefit workers and the entire citizenry.
“We, therefore, encourage stakeholders to consider adopting new approaches to work, deepen cooperation with the business community, employers and organised labour to implement flexible working arrangements,” she added.
Shared obligation
The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, stated earlier that rapid economic transformation was not the sole responsibility of the state, but rather a shared obligation with the labour front, employers and the entire citizenry.
He gave an assurance that the government was committed to strengthening dialogue to ensure workers’ concerns were heard and addressed in real time.
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, said engagements over labour issues must serve the best interest of the country.
Negotiations, he said, must, therefore, be carried out with mutual respect and be above sectional interests.
The Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, who chaired the opening ceremony, said it was always important to adopt strategies to consolidate industrial harmony as they affected growth.
For that matter, he said, the government and the labour front must work together in harmony to prosper together.
Among the large gathering were the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress, Joshua Ansah; the International Labour Organisation Director for Anglophone West Africa, Dr Vanessa Lerato Phala, and the President of the Ghana Employers Association, Nana Dr Emmanuel Adu-Sarkodee.
The conference topics included Implementation of the 24-Hour Economy Policy as driver for job creation; Employment and economic sustainability; Sustainable pensions and retirement security in Ghana; The future of work and its implications on the labour market; The state of Ghana’s economy; and The State of security in Ghana and the sub-region.
