Dr. Bawumia engages TUC leadership on youth employment, rising living costs and labour welfare

Former Vice President and NPP presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has taken his broad-based stakeholder engagement to Organised Labour, meeting with the leadership of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) at the Hall of Trade Unions in Accra Tuesday.

The meeting, held as part of Dr. Bawumia's ongoing national consultations, brought together top executives of the TUC, the umbrella body representing thousands of Ghanaian workers across both the public and private sectors.

Sources close to the meeting describe the atmosphere as cordial, frank and solution-oriented, with both sides demonstrating a commitment to addressing Ghana's current labour concerns.

At the centre of the discussions were bread-and-butter issues affecting workers, including the biting cost of living that has eroded disposable incomes, the long-standing demand for a sustainable living wage that goes beyond the minimum wage, and the growing anxiety over youth unemployment.

Other critical matters raised were the need to reform and enhance the pensions regime to guarantee dignity in retirement, and the imperative of ensuring workplaces are truly inclusive for persons with disabilities.

Beyond immediate welfare issues, the meeting also delved into strategic economic policy, with both sides exploring the idea of creating a resilient economy strong enough to absorb external shocks that affect exchange rates, inflation, commodity prices and supply chains.

Dr. Bawumia, who has consistently advocated strong economic fundamentals to withstand global economic shocks, is said to have listened attentively to the concerns and proposals put forward by the TUC leaders, assuring them that their inputs would form part of his broader economic vision.

The engagement with the TUC follows similar consultations Dr. Bawumia has held in recent weeks with traders, professional bodies, faith-based organisations, youth groups and private sector players, as he continues to gather diverse perspectives on building a more resilient and inclusive Ghanaian economy.

Both sides are expected to hold follow-up meetings to drill down into concrete policy proposals.