The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has strongly opposed the government’s decision to revoke public sector appointments made after December 7, 2024, describing it as unfair and a threat to the livelihoods of many young Ghanaians.
In a statement released on February 25, the TUC expressed concern over the directive issued by the Chief of Staff, Hon. Julius Debrah, which instructed all government institutions to annul appointments and recruitments made after the specified date. The government justified the move by citing non-compliance with good governance practices.
However, the TUC argued that the mass termination of workers, including those who had served on contract for years and were only recently regularized, was unjust. “This must be heart-breaking for these young men and women who are likely to be entering the labor market for the first time,” the statement read.
The union also criticized the recurring trend of “midnight appointments” and their subsequent annulments, a practice it said had been alternated between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the years. It highlighted that, in 2016, the NPP had fiercely condemned similar actions taken by former President John Dramani Mahama.
Now, with the NPP back in power, the TUC accused the government of hypocrisy, arguing that the directive disproportionately affects young Ghanaians who secured jobs through legitimate recruitment processes.
“The mass termination of employment for teachers, nurses, and others who have struggled for years to find jobs is a blot on our democratic credentials. It can also completely sap the patriotism of these young men and women,” the statement emphasized.
The TUC has called on President Mahama to halt the ongoing terminations and extend an amnesty to affected workers, similar to the one granted to security personnel recruited by the previous administration.
“This will be the greatest political settlement of the 4th Republic. It will ripple in eternity and reset the politics of Ghana,” the statement concluded.
