The National Labour Commission (NLC) says it will be compelled to apply sanctions, if persons working on the Tema Port Expansion embark on another illegal strike.

The Commission said it will not encourage workers to see strike as the first resort in times of labour misunderstanding.

NLC Executive Secretary, Charles Bawa Duah told Joy News Monday, the position of the Labour Act (651) on issues of labour unrest is clear and will not want any labour group to disregard it.

The Tema Port Expansion project has been hit by two strikes, the last was in May, 2017.

The outsourced workers blame their actions on their poor working conditions.

They believe management of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is not interested in their welfare.

The workers were recruited by L’aine Service for the Chinese company working on the $1.5 billion contract. They want to be permanently employed by CHEC but officials of the company said they lack the legal basis to do so.

The workers have threatened to go back if their situation is not improved by the company.

But the NLC said it will crack the whip on the workers if they go ahead with their intended strike.

Mr Bawa Duah said the law empowers the Commission to apply for high court enforcement whenever its decisions or directives on labour issues are disobeyed by any group.

The work is sponsored by the Ghana Ports and Harbours’ Authority and Meridian ports Services to turn the Tema Habour into a major port capable of handling large ships.