New labour law not a threat to workers

Kumasi, July 15, GNA - Mrs Georgina Oppong, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Council of Labour, has stated that even though the new labour law does not permit strike actions, it is still not a threat to resolution of workers disputes.

She said this was because numerous mechanisms and avenues had been instituted into the law, including arbitration and the Labour Commission, which could still be exploited for the amicable resolution of disputes.

Mrs Oppong made the statement in Kumasi on Friday when she addressed the opening of a day's seminar on promoting understanding of the new Labour Act, organised by the Ashanti Regional Council of Labour for its executive members.

The seminar was sponsored under the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC), a component of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), with the view to enlightening the labour front more on the prospects and challenges of the New Labour law. Representatives of workers front attended it from all the 21 districts of the Ashanti.

Mrs Oppong appealed to workers to shirk themselves off the practice of only demonstrations and strike actions and begin to make full use of the avenues created by the new labour law in settling misunderstandings and grievances with management and their employers.

Mr Abubakari Adams-Sandu, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), asked workers to now perceive the practice of wearing red bands and singing war songs when negotiations by Labour and management was in session "as things of the past".

He said with the new labour law in force such strategies would not help and that the only way out was for them "to be well armed with information on the budgetary allocation to their outfit and relevant information to help put their case forward".

On education of workers on the new Labour Act, Mr Adams-Sandu announced that a project was soon to be embarked upon by the Regional Council of Labour in collaboration with the BUSAC to educate workers in the Ashanti Region more on its significance.

Madam Agnes Gorman, Ashanti Regional Labour Officer, announced that the Labour Commission even though currently centralised, plans had been announced for its decentralisation to the regions and districts.