Interactive workshop for LGWU and NULGE

Tema, Feb. 23, GNA - The Chairman of the Trades Union Congress, Mr Alex Bonney has noted that discrimination and exploitation at work place in violation of fundamental workers' rights have become increasing part of globalisation in the world.

He however, mentioned labour market regulations and collective bargaining as important issues in a globalised economy and said it was necessary for labour market institutions to ensure that fundamental worker rights and labour standards are not undermined.

He was speaking at a three-day interactive workshop organised by the Institute of Local Government Studies in collaboration with Osun State Local Government Service Commission in Nigeria on "Appraisal and Evaluation Of Local Government Administration in Ghana and Nigeria. It had 70 participants from the Local Government Workers Union (LGWU) of the Trades Union Congress and the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

Mr Bonney said the loss of jobs, rapidly declining of real wages, increased poverty and the destruction of the livelihood of many workers throughout the West African sub-region have been the result of "excessive corporate power" and the unrestrained drive for profit. According to him "present kind of globalisation is clearly masterminded by corporate power and governments who ally with them" and this has brought destruction to many gains the trades unions have made. He therefore, stressed the need for trade unions to take advantage of NEPAD to advance the cause of labour on the sub-region and the continent as a whole.

He also said it was necessary for trade unions across countries to encourage co-ordination of trade union international development activity to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and the views on the key institutional policy issues at both the international and local levels.

In a speech read on his behalf the Local Government Service Commissioner, Osun State, Nigeria, Dr S.O Omotara commended the two organisations for organising the workshop designed to exchange ideas with the view of coming out with rich ideas that would make our local governments more responsive to the general yearnings of people at the grassroots.

Participants would be taken through various discussions including Women's participation in Local Government, Current Local Government Administration, the Role of LGWU, Collective Bargaining and the LGWU as well as the District Assembly as a system.