Dr. Yaw Baah , Dr. Justice Yankson and Brother Dennis Vormawor
THE GHANA Trade Union Congress (TUC) in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Ghana yesterday embarked on an industrial resolution forum to resolve industrial disputes and to discuss some challenges they face in the industry at the Mensvic Hotel in Accra.
The event, which was held under the theme “Industrial Dispute Resolution: The Law & Practice”, aimed at enhancing co-operation among members of the Union to find a positive approach towards efforts to minimize challenges that occur between the National Labour Commission and employers and also to discuss the way forward for the Union.
Lack of infrastructure and logistics, lack of funds from the government, part time commissioners and the inadequacy of human and financial resources were some of the challenges discussed at the forum.
In his speech, resident director of FES Ghana, Mr. Fritz Kopsieker, lamented over the lack of continuity in the leadership of the National Labour Commission (NLC) and conflicts that hinder the development of the industry in Ghana.
“We cannot develop Ghana with conflicts, and therefore there is the need to find possible solutions to the problems which exist between the NLC and workers” he stressed.
Executive Secretary of NLC, Mr. Ofosu Asamoah, said people who bring their cases to the NLC should be made to pay some amount of fees as charges, adding that it would generate income for the commission since lack of funds is a peculiar problem facing the NLC.
He disclosed that some people were ready to pay in order to get their cases solved.
“People are ready to pay. We have over 4,000 pending cases and from May 4, we have had about 228 cases. The work is big but the workers are small”, he added.
The forum saw in attendance a number of dignitaries consisting of the Secretary of Ghana Mines Commission, William Ankara, Chairman of NLC, Mr. Andy Asamoah, as well as executives and members of the NLC.
BY: Mary Aganah Teye