Tripartite Committee must research into causes of strike – ICU

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress, has urged the National Tripartite Committee to research into the causes of industrial strikes so as to find lasting solutions.

According to Mr Solomon Kotey, General Secretary of the ICU, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday on: “Industrial Action and the Economy,” said the industrial strikes in the country were taking a level that needed a proper research to uncover the actual causes.

Quoting the Labour Commission, he said from the late 1990s to date, a total of 60 strikes had been recorded and the ICU was not happy to see the President and the Vice President having to intervene to resolve issues while institutions have been mandated to handle such problems.

Mr Kotey said if that trend continued it meant that law and order would break down adding that one way to prevent that was to make institutions and all stake holders in charge to perform their duties.

He said: “The Labour Commission, though they are overwhelmed with work, is not being accorded the credence and the respect needed because the employer can decide to respect its rulings or not.

“This lawlessness could virtually bring the entire economy to a halt in one way or another.”

“It is the view of the ICU that the stakeholders, especially the National Tripartite Committee, which is not only there to look at minimum wage, to make the research a major agenda,” he said.

Source: GNA