TUC calls for review of labour law

Mr Elvis Van-Lare, Volta Regional Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has observed that employers in the banking, maritime and mining sectors were taking advantage of lapses in the Labour Act to lay off workers.

They arealso turning permanent employees into casual or contract workers.

 He therefore called on government to review the Labour Act and ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention to protect Ghanaian workers from employers who took advantage of lapses in the law.

 Mr Van-Lare was addressing this year’s May Day in the Volta Region on the theme, “Sustainable Development Goals and Decent work: the Role of Social Partners”, which sought to highlight the importance of social partnership characterised by mutual trust and respect.

He noted that after 25 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy, Ghanaians were still threatened by unemployment and redundancy with  only two million out of 13 million eligible to work, having decent work.

He called on government to “stop the unwarranted changes in modes of operation that were designed only to make supernormal profits …”

Mr Van-Lare   blamed the unemployment situation on policy failure saying “ Ghana has religiously implemented free market capitalist policies and programmes that have brought misery to Ghanaians…”

He hoped the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provided an excellent basis for medium to long term economic development with special reference to economic growth and decent work would help address some challenges of Ghanaian workers.

Dr Archibald Yoa Letsa, Volta Regional Minister appealed to labour unions to partner government and support it to create more jobs.

Source: GNA