President John Dramani Mahama has urged organised labour and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to take a more active stance in monitoring the operations of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), cautioning that failure to speak up over poor management could result in institutional breakdowns and widespread job losses.
Addressing workers during the 2026 May Day celebrations, the President stressed that employees and their representatives have a critical role to play in ensuring accountability within public institutions.
He noted that inefficiencies and governance lapses in SOEs often have direct consequences for workers, who ultimately suffer the most when such entities become unstable or collapse.
According to him, labour unions must not remain passive when signs of mismanagement emerge, but instead take a firm position in demanding corrective action.
“I urge the TUC and organised labour not to sit back and look on aloof when management and governing boards are mismanaging their enterprises. Because when these enterprises collapse, it is the workers that suffer the most. And so when you see things going wrong, don’t sit aloof. Point it out and make sure corrections are done,” he said.
The President’s remarks come amid renewed national conversations about the efficiency and sustainability of state-owned enterprises, many of which continue to face financial and operational challenges.
He further encouraged stronger collaboration between labour groups and management structures to safeguard jobs and protect public investments.
