PSWU bemoans selectivity in application of Collective Bargaining Agreements

The Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has expressed grave concern about the selective application of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) by some employers in dealing with issues affecting workers.

Mr. Bernard Adjei, the Acting General Secretary said the situation where employers blatantly disregarded CBAs when it came to the implementation of the rights of workers, but quickly, referred to the same document when dealing with disciplinary issues, was unacceptable.

The General Secretary, who was speaking at the Ashanti Regional Delegates Conference in Kumasi, said such practices amounted to double standards and must not be allowed to continue.

He said the Labour Act 2003, Act 651, which governed employment relations in the country clearly states that CBAs were valid until they were renegotiated, hence, the practice whereby some employers were refusing to respect those agreements under the guise of expired duration must stop.

“Ironically, some of these same employers are quick to refer to such agreements in dealing with disciplinary issues but when there are issues related to conditions of service that benefits the worker, they deny them”, Mr. Adjei pointed out.

He said such attitudes did not promote peaceful industrial relation at the workplace, saying that, some organizations were not even allowing the negotiation of CBAs.

He accused such employers of using flimsy excuses and tactics to deny their workers the opportunity to negotiate their conditions of service through the CBA processes.

“These acts only goes to impede the progress we have made as a country in our industrial relations practice”, he bemoaned.

He assured the delegates that the union would continue to use all legitimate means to ensure that the interest of its members and workers in general were protected.

Source: GNA