Recruitment agencies to hit the street over government suspension

Labour recruitment agencies in the country are to stage a demonstration over the decision by government to suspend their operations for the past one year.

According to the association, the freeze on their operations is hugely affecting their economic condition.

A text inviting members for the demonstration said their action will be peaceful and intended to get the government to lift the suspension.

“The Licensed Labour Recruitment Agencies and other unemployed youth groups will embark on a peace walk/demonstration to demand that government lifts the suspension on their legitimate business,” a text by the group said.

The ban imposed by government in May 2017 prevents all 54 members of GHAPEA from recruiting and migrating Ghanaian skilled and unskilled labourers to the Arab world.

The suspension was in response to alleged abuse of some Ghanaian migrant workers by the employers in some Gulf countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, among others.

“The ban has given rise to illegal migration of Ghanaians through some illegal operators, while members of the Association, who are supposed to be at the forefront of facilitating the export of Ghanaian labourers abroad are out of job.

“The illegal agents cannot be bothered, because they are under the table. They do not have any records, they pay no taxes and they just carry on,” Chairman of GHAPEA, Alhaji Saeed Shereef bemoaned at a press conference