by KWEKU ZUREK
The President, Nana Akufo-Addo has asked all workers to adopt productive work attitudes in order to fast-track Ghana's development.
Akufo-Adoo during his May Day address today (May 1) at the Independence Square lamented how a section of the Ghanaian workforce after arriving at work every day spend the first hour at work praying and tardying about instead of working.
The President noted that such workers often displayed gross disrespect towards their employers and work hours.
He said: "We all avoid very carefully, any mention of the workplace attitudes that retard our progress.
"I have said it at another forum but I think it bears repeating, we arrive at work late and then spend the first hour in prayer.
"We are clock watchers and leave in the middle of critical work because it is the official closing time. Everything comes to a stop when it rains and we seem to expect the rest of the world also to stop".
"We have no respect for the hours set aside for work, we pray we eat, we visit during working hours. We spend hours chatting on the telephone when customers are waiting to be served, thereby increasing our labour costs.
"We take a week off for every funeral and then wonder why we are not competitive". The President who described himself as the chief labourer of the nation during his address
The President who described himself as the chief labourer of the nation during his address also stated that Ghana was also lagging behind in the hospitality industry and as a result, many Ghanaians had become accustomed to poor service.
"The service that we provide in our hospitality industry does not match that of our competitors and many of us have sadly come around to accept poor service as a norm", the President said.
He also mentioned how petty theft, reckless use of office vehicles and neglect of company property was hindering national development.
President Akufo-Addo further urged the Trade Union Congress to lead the campaign for a change in attitude to work in order to assist the government to develop the country.
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