Workers in the Ashanti Region marked this year’s May Day celebrations with a resounding call for the government to move beyond symbolic gestures and deliver tangible improvements in wages and working conditions.
Under the theme “Resetting Pay and Working Conditions in Ghana: The Role of Stakeholders,” the message from labour leaders was clear: the current economic crisis demands more than a minimum wage—it requires a living wage.
Speaking to Citi News, Augustine Apambila Adongo, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the country’s workforce is struggling to stay afloat on inadequate salaries, with many workers taking home “meagre incomes” each month.
“The government should replace the minimum wage with a living wage, which is better. Minimum wage is not doing well for us,” Adongo declared, arguing that true economic reset must begin with workers.
He warned that unless labour concerns are placed at the centre of policy decisions, the administration’s broader development agenda will remain hollow.
The call from Ashanti labour leaders aligns with growing nationwide sentiment among unions and civil society organisations pushing for more equitable economic reforms, especially as inflation, taxes, and cost of living continue to outpace earnings.
As Ghana seeks to stabilise its economy and rebuild public confidence, May Day 2025 has emerged as a pivotal moment for reflection, not just on the state of the economy, but on the value placed on the workers who drive it.
