President Akufo-Addo has charged members of the Labour Commission to ensure, as a matter of priority, that they promote industrial peace and harmony in Ghana through their work.
Addressing members of the commission after swearing them into office at Jubilee House in Accra on Friday (8 July 2022), President Akufo-Addo said the commission’s mandate, under the Labour Act, of working to promote industrial peace has become extremely important in the face of current economic challenges nationally and globally.
“The importance of the commission has been established by statute – the Labour Act, which is the authority for establishing the commission. Its primary purpose is to promote this commission as the vehicle for settling industrial disputes in our country.
“In the times in which we are, these difficult economic circumstances in which we are in the country, which are affecting everybody, top to bottom, the work that you are going to be doing will take on added significance,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“I believe that the promotion of industrial peace and harmony is a function of two things: that we establish a balance between what are the legitimate demands of labour and what are the capacities of the employer. It is the most effective way of promoting industrial peace and harmony,” he said.
Unrest
At least four teacher unions in Ghana are on indefinite strike over their demands for a cost of living allowance (COLA).
They are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana and the Teachers’ and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU).
The strike began on Monday (4 July 2022) after the unions said that the government had failed to meet a 30 June deadline to pay their members between 20% and 30% of their salaries by way of a cost of living allowance.
“We have been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians on our intention to go on strike, having gone past the 30 June deadline we gave the government for the payment of the cost of living allowance,” said the general secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, as he addressed the media at the start of the strike.
“Consequently, we have decided to embark on a strike from today … By this, we are informing the general public that we are withdrawing services in all the pre-tertiary education institutions. This includes teaching and non-teaching staff,” Musah said.
Board’s response
Rose Karikari Anang, a member of the board, said that the commission will do everything within its power and in line with its mandate to deal with the current labour unrest while they work to forestall any such discontent in the future.
“We can assure you that we are poised to work and we will be engaging organised labour, employers and the government as an employer,” she said.
The National Labour Commission is chaired by His Lordship Justice Kwabena Asuman-Adu (rtd).
The members of the commission are Emmanuel Amota, Rose Karikari Anang, Justice Peter Kwabena Ababio (rtd), Kofi Davor, Patrice Fidelis Sedoh, Isaac Sackey and Ofosu Asamoah, the executive secretary of the NLC.
Wilberforce Asare
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 101.5 in Bawku, 99.9 in Bimbilla, 100.3 in Cape Coast, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa and 106.9 in Walewale
Join the conversation. Call: 020 000 9951 or 059 415 7777. Or WhatsApp: 020 000 0995.
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
