NLC outdoors website to widen education on Labour Law

Accra, Dec. 13, GNA - The National Labour Commission (NLC) on Tuesday launched its website www.nlcghana.org to widen the scope of public education on the Labour Law to enhance a peaceful industrial environment. The site would also create a platform for industrial dialoguing to ensure harmonious labour-employer relationships and promote co-operation among the labour market players.

Programmes posted at the site include background to the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) and the establishment of the NLC (Act 651), membership of the Commission, functions and independence of the Commission, rules and procedures, and list of mediators and arbitrators. It contains sections on Code of Conduct for Labour Mediators, press and media issues and advocacy drives of the Commission, industrial relations in the country, draft rules and procedures for industrial dispute resolution.

Launching the website, Mr Joseph Ackom Aryitey, NLC Chairman, said the promulgation of Act 651 had introduced a new paradigm shift in industrial relations practices. The Act satisfied international norms and conditions for the flexible labour environment to ensure that the country competed strongly to attract investors, he said. "We have moved from the robust labour agitation to diplomatic dialoguing through the mechanism of mediation and arbitration," Mr Aryitey stated.

Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyan, ICT Adviser to the Minister of Communication, commended the NLC for establishing a website, which would enhance union and Government's responsiveness to the feelings, ideas, moods and needs of workers whilst labour understood the policies of government. "It is important to know what Government is thinking, planning and so on; this also goes for labour. We believe that the launch of the website forms part of government's efforts to ensure accessibility to the NLC." Mr Adu-Gyan said the Government had embarked on plans to establish community information centres throughout the country, develop local talents and build human resource capacity for labour.