NLC not happy with rate of increase in industrial disputes

The National Labour Commission (NLC) says since the country started drilling oil in the last quarter of 2010, the number of industrial complaints received from aggrieved workers have increased tremendously, especially from the petroleum sector.

The Executive Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Edward Briku-Boadu, said the Commission sometimes received about 500 complaints from workers a month describing it as worrying.

He, therefore, tasked employers and workers to exercise restraint in settling industrial disputes and negotiate issues internally instead of approaching the Commission with every little issue.

Mr. Briku-Boadu said these on Thursday at a day’s workshop organized by the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) in Takoradi to build the capacity of human resource personnel, chief executives and Public Relation Managers of organizations in the Western Region.

Speaking on the topic: “National Labour Commission and Settlement of Industrial Disputes”, Mr. Briku-Boadu charged workers to be abreast with the provisions of the Labour law (Act 651) so that their employers did not infringe on their rights.

Mr. Briku-Boadu, a legal practitioner, noted that due to non-availability of jobs, most workers failed to critically examine the terms and conditions spelt out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and, thereafter complained bitterly of cheating or discrimination by their employers.

The NLC Executive Secretary admonished workers to deposit two copies of the CBA or employment contract with the Commission so that it would examine whether there had been any discrimination with reference to the labour Act in order to address them before degenerating into industrial dispute.

The Chief Executive Officer of GEA, Mr. Alex Frimpong, said industrial disputes were inevitable but implored both employers and workers to resolve it based on fairness and equity devoid of emotions.

He said industrial disputes could affect the cost of production, low productivity, income, reputation of organizations, as well as disrupt peace and harmony at the work place.

Mr. Frimpong, therefore, appealed to employers to organize regular refresher courses for their workers, saying, “The illiteracy of the 21st Century is not about those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn and relearn”.

The participants were drawn from the Norpalm Ghana Ltd, AngloGold Ashanti, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Chamber of Mines, Labour Department, Ghana Manganese, Adamus Resources, Benso Oil, Plot Enterprise, WAMCO and others.**