The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is set to mobilize over 3,000 workers for a protest on August, 29, 2025, calling for the cancellation of debts owed by Ghana and other African countries to international creditors.
The protest, supported by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), is part of a global push to ease the debt burden on developing nations by the international creditors.
At a news conference in Accra, leaders from the TUC and the ITUC expressed deep concern over what they describe as unjust debt being paid by African governments in some cases, debt they say was not directly incurred by the countries themselves.
The Head of Research at the ITUC, Dr. Horde Ayigbe argued that these debts, running into billions have become a major obstacle to development across the continent.
“From the word go, we were disadvantaged, the times that have gone through extraction, the colonization and the slave trade, all of that have disadvantaged us. In terms of development, we are a bit late.
“So there’s been a structural imbalance, they gave us political independence but did not give us economic independence. We are still tied to those structures, the francophone countries, anglophone countries still tied to colonial past, they set up banks to push us down and that’s what the IMF has been doing to us so the protest is to ensure that the international creditors cancel the debt owed by African countries,” he stated.
Ghana, for instance, has returned to the International Monetary Fund for the 17th time, a move that TUC and ITUC say reflects a deeper crisis affecting many African economies.
They believe the growing debt burden has directly affected worker incomes, public services, and overall livelihoods.
Deputy Secretary General of TUC, Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo is disturbed about the debt burden on the incomes of Ghanaian workers.
“Today, since the Debt Exchange Programme when we sit to negotiate we are reminded constantly about the commitment government of Ghana has made, purely because we over borrowed and got ourselves into a debt over hang and we need a bailout, that has impacted on the incomes of workers.
“So the TUC is joining this March and we are the local organizers, we want to tell government to turn its attention to these economic issues that are impacting on our economic progress,” he noted.
The planned march aims to put pressure on both international creditors and African leaders to adopt fairer financial practices and prioritize the well-being of citizens over debt repayments.
The TUC says it is committed to pushing for change, as workers across the continent continue to bear the brunt of economic hardship.
By Daniel Opoku
