Labour Commission to close down Takoradi office over weak office building

The National Labour Commission (NLC) may be compelled to close down its office in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis if the government does not provide a new office for the Commission in that part of the country, Samuel Ofosu Asamoah, Executive Secretary of the (NLC) has said.

He said the weak structure being used as its office in Takoradi is posing a death threat to workers, a situation that must be averted by shutting down that branch if the state does not provide any alternative.

He revealed that the staff have stopped going to work due to the threats the building pose on their lives.

Mr Ofosu Asamoah, told Winston Amoah, on the Sunrise Show on 3FM Tuesday November 5 that he has personally written a letter to the Western Regional Minister informing him about the development. However, he is yet to receive a response from him.

“We operate from Accra and it was recently we moved to Kumasi. We have another office in Takoradi which was given to us by the STMA – Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Authority, in a very old dilapidated structure and as I talk to you now, the staff hardly go to the office because the ceiling is falling, the roof is falling on them.

“Sometimes you will be there and some concrete slap will drop on your table.”

He added : “I have written a letter to the regional minister last week that if we are not given any assistance we may be compelled to close the office.

“Recently the principal industrial relations officer there just rose for lunch and in just minutes a concrete slap fell on her seat.

“It could have hit her head if she was sitting there. We can’t expose our staff to that risk so I have written to the minister that we may be compelled to close down the office if we don’t get any assistance.”

He further told show host Winston Amoah that the Commission has identified a new building which could serve as their new office in Takoradi however, they do not have the money to pay for the rent.

“We have located a lace. The landlord is ready to take GHS36,000 unfortunately we don’t have a budget for now,” he said.