Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central Regional Minister, on Tuesday lauded the decent work programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and said it must be promoted to ensure that all
Ghanaians found decent jobs free from exploitation and harmful working conditions.
She said it was her belief that decent jobs and good working conditions were key to the nation's desire to build a better Ghana for all Ghanaians.
Mrs Benyiwa-Doe was speaking at Cape Coast during the opening of a two-day "Technical Training Workshop" for metropolitan, municipal, district level engineers, administrators and technicians from seven beneficiary districts of the region.
The programme aims at promoting the use of labour friendly methods and simple tools where possible, to help in employment creation and poverty reduction.
Participants were shown clips on ways of recycling plastics and other wastes.
Mrs Benyiwa-Doe said since the assemblies were the "cornerstone" of the country's democratic process, the ultimate development of the country hinged on how best resources were mobilized and transformed into viable projects at
the district level.
She said if the objective of the programme was attained, the nation would be saved from the high unemployment rate and its accompanied social
vices.
She therefore urged the participants to show total commitment towards the programme to ensure that it was expanded to cover all parts of the
region, to "change its poverty profile".
Mr Charles Kwarteng Asafo-Adjei, National Programme Manager of the Employment and Investment Policy (EIP) unit of the ILO, said the decent work programme was aimed at creating decent employment for everyone, especially the unemployed.
According to him, it sought to encourage the use of human labour and simple tools in place of big machinery, in order to create more employment
avenues for the youth.
Mr Asafo-Adjei said the objectives of the programme included fundamental principles and rights at work, employment and income
opportunities; social protection,social security; and social dialogue.
He said the ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, had also created an Employment Intensive Unit which was being financed by the Department for International Development of Britain with a budget of $480, 000.
Mr Asafo-Adjei said the main component of the unit was to help the ministry come up with a policy on employment creation in infrastructure.
He said it was collaborating with some tertiary institutions for the study of labour friendly methods and simple tools for accelerated
development.