The leadership of the Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions (FORUM) and the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) have boycotted the commemoration of May 2026 in Koforidua, Eastern Region, due to the failure of the Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC) to address organisational concerns.
The Forum and GFL which is an affiliate of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) noted that the TUC failed to ensure inclusive participation from the leadership of other unions and associations, equitable involvement, and collective ownership of the May Day ceremony.
The TUC failed to adhere to an agreement reached on April 16th, 2026, following extensive deliberations, which resolved that the 2026 National May Day parade should be chaired by the Chairman of the FOURM and proceed with the welcome address, a resolution jointly signed by Brother Isaac Bmapoe Addo, Chairman, FORUM; and Brother Abraham Koomson, Secretary General, GFL.
In a statement copied to the Modern Ghana News in Accra, it was also agreed that the TUC Secretary-General deliver the May Day address on behalf of organised labour and that all May Day statements should be finalised and made ready by Thursday, 23rd April 2026, to enable review by the leadership of organised labour before the final address.
It was resolved that the official May Day flyer should prominently capture the three labour centres, namely the Trades Union Congress (Ghana), the Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions, and the Ghana Federation of Labour.
The meeting further resolved that the organised labour logo should be used for the purposes of the event and its related publicity materials. However, the TUC failed to adhere to the agreed-upon program outlines and sidelined the other organised labour union leadership.
“In the circumstances, and without prejudice to the unity and long-term cohesion of organised labour, we regret to indicate that FORUM and GFL will be unable to participate in the 2026 Joint,” the resolution stated.
According to the resolution, the Forum and GFL consider it important to situate this matter within the broader evolution of Ghana's labour relations framework.
It explained that the passage of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), marked a decisive transition from any legacy model of exclusive labour centre dominance toward a more plural and inclusive system of organised labour representation.
The Forum and GFL noted that in that context, the legitimacy of national labour events such as May Day cannot be grounded in historical predominance but must instead be sustained through equitable participation, consultation, and shared institutional ownership among the recognised labour centres.
“We must also emphasise that decisions taken by TUC national unions at the Steering Committee cannot bind independent trade unions and labour centres outside the TUC.
“Such May Day matters must be addressed within the organised labour framework in the interest of fairness, legitimacy, and collective ownership,” the resolution stated.
According to the resolution, the Forum and GFL wish to underscore that while the May Day Planning Committee is constituted with representation from the organised labour groups, its mandate remains technical and administrative, confined to the organisational arrangements for the event.
“It does not extend to political or leadership decisions relating to programme authority, including the assignment of speakers for the May Day event.
“Again, where such matters are dealt with in a manner that does not reflect the substantive consensus of organised labour leadership, legitimate questions arise as to both the integrity of the consultative process and the proper limits of the Committee's authority.
“While the May Day Parade has historically been administered in a manner that has often reflected the predominance of the TUC, the contemporary structure of organised labour in Ghana today requires a more inclusive and equitable approach.
“The joint resolutions submitted by FORUM and GFL were therefore not intended to disrupt the event, but rather to advance a more appropriate expression of shared institutional ownership consistent with the plural character of organised labour under the current labour relations framework,” the resolution stated.
“We remain committed to the unity of organised labour and to strengthening our collective institutional coherence,” the Forum and GFL stated.
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