Labour consultant, Austin Gamey has noted that the middle income aspirations of Ghana are attainable by the year 2015 if the country’s Labour Law will be allowed to regulate industrial relations.

He described the Labour Law as capable of transforming the country’s industrial landscape to ensure peace and harmony and said allowing it to govern industrial relations among social partners would help the country on its journey towards the attainment of a middle-income status by 2015 and other development indices.

A news report by the Daily Graphic on Tuesday said while speaking to executive members of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service local union from the Headquarters, James Town, Airport and Tema divisions on the Labour Law, Mr Gamey emphasised that the Labour Law of Ghana was the best so far and that it was “reasonably adequate” in dealing with any labour law issue in the country.

He disagreed with the notion that the law was inadequate because of the numerous industrial disputes the country experienced last year but rather blamed the social partners who he said did not have the requisite knowledge to functionally implement it.

Speaking under six main themes, Mr Gamey who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Gamey and Gamey Academy of Mediation charged the CEPS local union executives to make the difference in their stewardship clear by their leadership qualities as well as their understanding of the law.

He said unnecessary knowledge, joint and shared responsibilities and duties of social partners , institutions and bodies managing differences through prevention and dispute resolution and sanctions were the six broad areas under which the Labour Law as well as an understanding of its provisions and intent.

That, he said would furnish them with the skills in implementing it successfully and functionally.

He added that the Labour Law had done away with the traditional formal means of communication among social partners which was based on an inflexible contractual grievance procedure which resulted in adversarial positions and power based approach in relations.

He warned that organisations and leadership which lacked the necessary knowledge and vision in functionally applying the law were likely to be embroiled in a high number of grievances, unfair labour practices and litigation, among other things.

He said the law imposed on social partners the critical joint responsibility and duty to demonstrate a high sense of commitment towards work.

Thus, while employers were vested with authority to employ and deal with all issues relating to that, they were equally enjoined to provide work and the appropriate means for carrying it out, with agreed remuneration at the time and place agreed in the contract of employment, he pointed out.

Source: Daily Graphic