The chairperson of the National Labour Commission, Mr. Joseph A. Aryeetey, has advised employers, including the government to be faithful to employees in matters pertaining to salary negotiations to minimise industrial actions in the country.

He said there was the need for employers to respect the rights of employees while measures should also be taken to educate them to keep abreast of provisions of the Labour Act (Act 651), which came into force in 2003.

Mr Aryeetey was speaking when members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on State Enterprises and Social Welfare visited the commission to acquaint themselves with operations of the commission.

Briefing the committee about the commission's operations, he said before its establishment, industrial disputes had to be settled by the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment.

He said about one-third of the 663 cases received by the commission last year were settled amicably.

"It is unfortunate that some employers and employees are not abiding by provisions of the Labour Act, either deliberately or due to ignorance," he said.

Mr Aryeetey said the onus, therefore, was on employers, labour unions and state institutions charged with the education of the people to rise up to the occasion and organise fora for both employers and employees to minimise strikes.

He stated that although a lot had been placed on the shoulders of the commission it lacked the necessary human and infrastructural resources to meet its challenges.

Mr Aryeetey explained that the headquarters of the commission was in a rented premises in the middle of Asylum Down, which did not augur well for the security of workers of the commission.

He added that as of now the commission had only 26 permanent staff who were all based in Accra and called for increase in its budgetary allocation to enable it to employ additional staff to enhance its operations.

While calling for the construction of a permanent headquarters for the commission, Mr Aryeetey also said the commission intended to establish one office each in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale to ensure prompt handling of industrial issues in those areas.

Responding to the concerns raised by the commission, the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee, Mr Paul Okoh, said the government had to do a lot to alleviate the plight of the commission "if we want it to achieve results".

"If the country wants the commission to continue to exist to perform its functions, then it should be prepared to provide it with adequate resources," he said.

He said the visit had, therefore, placed the committee in a better position to lobby for adequate budgetary allocation to the commission in the ensuing year.


Source: Daily Graphic