Labour C’ssion Chairman in deep palaver

All indications point to the determination of sections of organised labour to ensure the resignation or removal of the Chairman of the National Labour Commission, Mr Joseph Ayittey, over an alleged conduct unbecoming of a person in that position.

Sources say the sharpening of knives for the battle to see to the ignominious discharge of the law lecturer teacher follows what the union describes as “very irresponsible remarks he made about the Commission on Friday January 25, this year.”

The venue for the alleged misconduct was the Akosombo Hotel at Akosombo, where representatives of the National Tripartite Committee met to discuss productivity, living wages and managing industrial relations in this election year.

Sources say Mr Ayittey rubbished the Commission of which he is the Chairman when he commented on a contribution by Mr Abraham Koomson, Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL).

Mr Koomson had reportedly lamented the reopening by the courts of cases settled by the Commission when it seeks orders for reinforcements at the High Court.

In particular, he cited the case involving a member of a union affiliated to the GFL and Southern Fried Chicken that has been pending at the Accra High Court for nearly two years.

In his response, Mr Ayittey, said the Commission was incompetent, suggesting that this was why its rulings were being overturned by the courts.

He poured scorn on the Legal Department of the Commission, describing it as not helping matters as the staff therein are not up to the task.

Shocked at this contribution, our sources said the Minister for Manpower, Youth and Employment, Nana Olege Akomea asked Mr Ayittey why he was still presiding over such a mess, without quitting.

Sources say it was not only the Minister who was visibly shocked at Mr Ayittey’s response. Other members of the Tripartite Committee present, especially the Ghana Employers Association, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Ghana Federation of Labour, who nominated Mr Ayittey as Chairman of the NLC agonised later whether they had not made the mistake of a lifetime.

The Concord was told that the fractionalisation of the NLC and its resultant back-biting and undermining contributed to the resignation of Dr Mrs Date-Baah, a former Deputy Director at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) , from the Commission though Mrs Date-Baah through a rejoinder filed to this paper by her lawyers last year said she resigned for family reasons.

Latest information suggests that a group of trade unions are readying up to formally petition the President through the sector minister, Nana Akomea, to revoke the appointment of Mr Ayittey.