Morgan Ayawine
The Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) has called on government to prioritise policies and programmes that promote decent work and uphold the dignity of workers.
According to the ICU, such measures will ensure that workers benefit from the fruits of their labour even after retirement.
In a statement issued yesterday to mark today’s observance of Precarious Work Day across the world, and signed by the General Secretary, Morgan Ayawine, the ICU said precarious work, which manifests in substandard employment such as outsourcing, casual or contract work, and fixed-term contracts, has become common in workplaces, especially within transnational and multinational companies.
“It is an injustice of the highest order to see young citizens working as casuals for more than five years, with no hope of permanency to enjoy the benefits of decent work,” the statement noted.
The ICU explained that the commemoration seeks to draw global attention to the debilitating challenges of precarious work, which deprives millions of workers of their right to decent work. Ghana, it said, joins labour partners around the world in solidarity and in total condemnation of the growing menace.
“Since 2008, when the World Day for Decent Work was instituted and marked annually on 7th October, millions have stepped up actions in promoting decent work across the globe,” the statement added.
While welcoming the investment and job creation opportunities provided by transnational and multinational companies, the ICU-Ghana stressed that it would not sit idly by while the rights of workers are trampled upon under substandard employment relations and profit maximisation for the benefit of capital owners.
“The vexed issue is that outsourcing deprives employees of decent work benefits such as the right to form or join a union, fair wages, safe working conditions, social protection including healthcare and insurance, paid leave, retirement plans, social security, and opportunities for personal development training,” it said.
The union lamented that outsourced, casual, and contract workers often perform the same duties and work the same hours as permanent staff but are denied the fundamental benefits of decent work. This, the ICU said, amounts to unfairness and labour exploitation.
“It is heart-wrenching to see two people in the same establishment doing the same job, yet one enjoys social protection benefits such as paid leave, social security contributions, and healthcare, while the other does not,” the statement stressed.
The ICU further asserted that precarious work must be condemned in no uncertain terms, warning that unbridled outsourcing and contract work regimes are rapidly undermining workers’ rights and eroding their dignity.
“This system ultimately denies workers the full benefits of decent work and infringes on ILO Conventions. Permanent job opportunities are being converted into contract, casual, or fixed-term roles – a trend that must stop,” the statement concluded.
By Belinda Adjei