By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh |
Volta Regional Chief Manager, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Ing. Joseph A. Nkrumah has received an award for his sterling qualities at this year’s regional May Day celebrations held at Jubilee Park, Ho.
The award which was in recognition of his good leadership skills and innovation that had led to positive transformation in the company’s execution of its mandate of production and distribution of potable water to customers in urban areas in the region was presented to him by the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa.
Ing. Nkrumah as part of his innovation in water management aimed at sustaining freshwater and ensuring enough raw water all year round, initiated measures including leading a tree planting exercise at the company’s head works at Hohoe where workers planted about 300 acacia seedlings along the banks of River Dayi on which the Hohoe water supply plant is based following an earlier dredging of the river.
The Day saw other workers rewarded for their dedication to work including two District Officers of Information Services Department, Dominic Boachie, South Dayi and Mathew Dormenyo, Nkwanta South who received special awards with the overall winner, Trade Union Congress (TUC) Personality Award presented to Bertha Akosua Neglo.
The 2019 celebrations witnessed a route march from the STC yard through the principal streets of Ho and to the event ground by workers in branded T-Shirts of the various unions and organisations from both public and private sectors.
The workers carried placards with inscriptions which included “Our Money oooo, Our money” seeking to draw government’s attention to their plights.
The Volta Regional Minister Dr. Archibald Letsa in a speech thanked all workers for their service to the region and the high level of tolerance reulting in the stable peace in the labour system.
Dr. Letsa touched on the theme for the 2019 celebrations, “Sustainable Pensions for All: The Role of Social Partners” by advising workers to develop interest in their pension package before reaching retirement in order to plan well and enjoy their labour at old age.
Acting Volta Regional Secretary for Trade Union Congress (TUC), Edith Amenuvor Afewu in a speech at the event, gave a brief background into the celebration of the Day and called on government to address the unfair labour practices in the country, saying, Ghanaian workers faced numerous challenges including some earning below the national minimum wage of GH¢270.00 per month.
Madam Afewu decried the high incidence of poverty and destitution among pensioners in Ghana attributable to the low salary levels and demanded that steps be taken to tackle these issues to adequately remunerate workers to have decent salaries to live on after they go pension.
The Day also known Workers’ Day celebrated every May 1, has been an international holiday in many countries since 1891 and originally born from the protracted struggle for workers’ rights and social justice of the late 1800s.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com