The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to stop the ongoing layoffs in the public sector.
Their concern centres on the potential fallout from these mass dismissals, particularly for young Ghanaians, which could seriously damage the country’s democratic reputation.
In a statement, the union expressed strong disapproval of the revocation of appointments that predominantly affect teachers, nurses, and other dedicated professionals who have invested years in education and faced hardships in securing jobs.
The union emphasized that such terminations not only threaten people’s livelihoods but also erode the patriotism and faith of young citizens in the governance of their country.
“The mass termination of employment of teachers, nurses and others, who have been educated at great cost to their families and the nation and who may have stayed at home for years struggling to obtain employment can be devastating for these young men and women”.
TUC’s plea comes in response to a directive from Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, issued on February 10, 2025, which ordered all government agencies to rescind appointments made after December 7, 2024.
The directive asserted that these appointments did not adhere to established principles of good governance.
Consequently, reports have surfaced of widespread job losses, affecting those whose appointments were finalised before the specified date.
The union further called on President Mahama to avert what they described as a “partisan slippery hill”, suggesting that while the president has shown leniency towards security recruits from the previous government, similar consideration should apply to all public sector appointments made before the power transition.
“This will be the greatest political settlement of the 4th Republic. It will ripple in eternity and reset the politics of Ghana,” the statement added.
