“Defending the rights of African workers and promoting the development of the African Continent.”
The Secretary-General of The Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), Arezki Mezhoud has attended the 11th Quadrennial Delegates Congress of the Trades Union Congress (Ghana). The congress took place on the 23rd of March 2021 in the Ashanti Region under the theme, “75 Years of TUC: Building Stronger Unions in a Changing World of Work”
Speaking on behalf of African workers, Mr. Mezhoud thanked the leadership of Ghana TUC for extending an invitation to OATUU and reiterated his support to the organisation. He also assured them of the OATUU’s devotion to defending the rights of African workers and promoting the development of the African continent.
In relation to the current pandemic, the Secretary-General acknowledged the devastating effects the pandemic has had and predicted that Africa would be reeling from its effects even after the pandemic had been subdued. He seized the opportunity to thank the government of Ghana for its support to OATUU and African workers in general, especially in these trying times.
Mr. Mezhoud also paid a special tribute to the former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, who passed away on 12th November 2021. He described him as a true pan Africanist leader who served loyally, as a friend of workers.
The President of Ghana TUC, Mr. Richard Kwasi Yeboah in his welcome address, noted that the most pressing challenge facing the organisation is the need to build a strong union in order to face current challenges and protect workers’ rights. The Secretary-General of Ghana TUC, who is also a Vice President of OATUU, Mr. Anthony Yaw Baah, also presented the achievements of TUC Ghana during the previous term and took advantage of the opportunity to draw the attention of Ghana’s President, H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, to some issues faced by the working class in Ghana.
The President of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, who graced the occasion, commended the leadership of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) on their role in promoting social justice in a period ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. He assured the organisation that government would not freeze the salaries of public servant workers.
At the end of the conference, a new leadership was elected for a four-year term, with Brother Alex Nyarko-Opoku as President, and Brother Anthony Yaw Baah reelected as Secretary-General.
