Hajia Mahama loses out on "amendment of sympathy"

Accra, June 9, GNA - A proposed amendment to the Persons with Disability (PWD) Bill which would have compelled employers to retrain and deploy workers, who acquire disability through activities that are indirectly rpt indirectly related to their employment, suffered defeat in Parliament on Friday.

Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister of Women and Children Affairs, who had sponsored it, said she foresaw a situation where employers would easily discard workers, who lost the use of their members adding:" You will never know when one would become disabled." The Persons with Disability Bill was at the consideration stage in Parliament.

Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, Member for Lawra/Nandom, said the concept of social responsibility extended the obligation of employers beyond the confines of their establishment.

He said employers operated within the social context, which made them reasonably responsible for social problems like injuries to workers within or without the workplace.

According to the Member, social responsibility and good labour practices should urge employers to take on such a problem adding:" You cannot just throw a person out of work because his or her value had been reduced by way of disability."

Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey (rtd), Member for Berekum, said the proposed amendment was stretching the law to undesirable limits hence "I can not accept it."

Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the Minority Deputy Leader, said it would be very difficult for the idea clothing the proposed amendment to be practised.

Other members, however, promised to offer their support on the condition that the burden of retraining and deploying a worker, who suffered disability through activities not directly related to their job environment was shifted from employers to the Government. The Bill is aimed at enabling PWDs to enjoy rights enshrined in the Article 29 (8)) of the 1992 Constitution with the view to improving their living standards and mainstreaming their activities.