TUC to fight for reversal of Court decision on dismissals

Ho, Nov. 12, GNA - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana on Tuesday said it would persist in its fight to reverse a High Court decision on February 2008 prevent managements from giving reasons to dismissal of workers.

"You can be sure that this fight is not over at all," the Union assured. Mr Seth Abloso, Acting Head, Organization Department of the TUC gave the assurance when he addressed a joint meeting of the Volta Regional and District Councils of Labour in Ho on Wednesday. He said the leadership of the TUC had sought audience with President Kufuor on the matter.

Mr Abloso added that the Union had also requested a tripartite meeting to consider the implications and consequences of the decision with a view to having it reversed. He said the Union was also pressing government to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 158, which makes it mandatory for managements to give reasons for dismissing workers contrary to the High Court decision.

Mr Abloso said that decision "has taken Ghana back to the days of Apollo 568" virtually nullifying the essence of the New Labour Law, which he described as legislation of enlightened compromise". He said the TUC had been inundated with a litany of complaints from workers unions regarding arbitrary dismissals by managements, most often targeting labour leaders since that decision was given by that Court. Mr Abloso said managements could use that decision to dismiss workers, who reported acts of corruption, sexual harassment and abuse of genuine redundancies.