The Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) has commended Organised Labour and all workers of Ghana for their contribution toward the socio-economic development of Ghana as the world marks International Workers Day.

“There must be mutual respect for the rights of workers and employers through education and sensitisation of the social partners’’ the statement said.

There have been numerous incidents of abuse of Ghanaians in foreign-owned businesses.

In March 2016, Young Gyu Lee, a Korean national and the chief executive officer of the PeterPan restaurant was charged with assault after he slapped a Ghanaian employee with hot pizza.

And in March 2017, a Lebanese national Jihad Chaaban, manager at Mawarko Fast Foods, allegedly assaulted a female employee by dipping her face into blended pepper.

Workers' day is a national holiday in Ghana and a dozen of other countries, marked to celebrate workers as well as highlight their challenges.

This year's celebration is under the theme: “Ghana @ 60: Mobilising Ghana’s Future through the creation of Decent Jobs.’’

The Ghana Employers’ Association also called for pragmatic and realistic policies for job creation for the mainly unemployed youth.

"Unemployment is increasingly that sustainable, pragmatic and realistic policies that would be adopted and implemented to create the needed jobs.

“It is the firm belief of GEA that employment creation and by extension economic development cannot be successful in an atmosphere of industrial unrest, disagreements and misunderstanding at both the enterprise and national levels," the GEA said.