Revive distressed state enterprises to create jobs-ICU to govt

The Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU), Ghana, appealed to the government to recapitalise and revive distressed state-owned enterprises to create sustainable jobs for thousands of unemployed youth and drive the country's industrial transformation. This appeal was contained in a resolution adopted at the union's 65th Regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held last Friday and addressed to President John Dramani Mahama. It was signed by the National Chairman, Al-Haji Nuru-Deen Al-Hassan, and the General Secretary, Morgan Ayawine, on behalf of the National Executive Council.

The meeting, attended by representatives from all 16 regions, stated that many graduates from universities, tertiary institutions, and skills training centres had remained unemployed for between five and 10 years. The ICU also appealed to the President not to proceed with the proposed sale of a 70 percent equity stake in the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) to a private investor. The union had previously organised a peaceful demonstration and presented a petition against the proposed transaction, arguing that VALCO should remain a strategic national asset.