Story: Tim Dzamboe, Ho
The Deputy Chairperson of the National Labour
Commission (NLC), Mr. Kwasi Danso-Acheampong has urged
managements, workers and unions to seek their
legitimate rights within the framework of the new
labour law in order to promote industrial harmony in
the country at all times.
“This new era of labour-management relations, offers
opportunities and challenges, and as a result of this,
management and workers would have to work together as
a team with a common goal in order to survive in the
global economy”, he stressed
Mr Danso-Acheampong was addressing the opening
ceremony of a two-day workshop on unionization, the
dispute settlement procedures and the legislative
instruments under the Labour Act, 2003, Act 651 at Ho
today.
He said for the sake of economic and development and
the survival of enterprises, it is important for
managements and workers to explore productive and
practical ways for the settlement of industrial
disputes.
“We live in a human society and as such agitations
are unavoidable, but then, where they occur as much as
practicable , we should devise solutions to them, so
that they do not result into expensive disputes”, he
stated.
Mr Danso-Acheampong therefore asked participants to
agree as partners in the relationship on the best ways
to address the little agitations that normally occur
at the enterprise level in order to avoid them
resulting into disputes that would create big economic
problems for their establishments.
He said as social partners it was imperative for them
to continually explore the use of dialogue at the
enterprise level in the resolution of agitations
adding that the answers to unresolved agitations that
could lead to disputes can be found under the Dispute
Settlement Procedures of the Act and that they should
acquaint themselves to it and not to resort to
industrial actions, “ because frequent industrial
actions disrupt and retard development”.
The deputy chairperson said labour-management
cooperation was making great strides in improving the
workplace in advanced industrial economies and
expressed the hope that participants will strive to
emulate the good principles in order to compete and
survive in the increasingly difficult and
ever-changing global market.
The underlying principle, he said lied in the mission
statement of the NLC which stated , thus, “ To develop
and sustain a peaceful and harmonious industrial
relations environment through the use of effective
dispute resolution practices, promotion of cooperation
among the labour market players and mutual respect for
their rights and responsibilities”.
A lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Kofi
Baku who gave an overview of the Labour Act said the
significance of the new labour law was to serve as an
important piece of social legislation pertaining to
work that touched on the social fabric of humanity.
He said the law was passed after a thorough
consultation among the government, organized labour
and employers as the three social partners adding that
there was therefore the need for all partners to work
hand -in- hand at all times without breaching the
trust anticipated for industrial harmony.
According to him, the industrial relations that
existed in the country prior to the passing of the law
was acrimonious that did not promote productivity,
profitability and enhanced job creation of enterprises
and that it led to unresolved disputes with attendant
negative results.
Dr Baku said the new law was also relevant with the
view to bringing all legislations in consonance with
the 1992 constitution.
He advocated the need for gender balance to be
injected into management organizations of the labour
union.
He also noted the heavy presence of delegates of the
Bank of Ghana at the workshop and said it was
commendable for other banks to emulate the worthy
example.
Other presentations delivered at the workshop were, “
The International Labour Organisations and
International Labour Standards”, “ Unionization and
Certification”, “ The Laws of Ghana and Essential
Service Classification”, “ Termination and Incidental
Issues”, “ Workmen’s Compensation Law 1987,PNDCL 187
and Related Issues”, “ “ The NLC’s Regulations and the
Dispute Settlement Procedures-L.I 1822” and “ The
Minister of Labour Regulations-L.I 1833”
No comments:
Post a Comment