TUC urges workers to support implementation of Labour Law

Koforidua, March 19, GNA - The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on Ghanaian workers to support the implementation of the Labour Law. It was the view of the TUC that, though the Law on strike was not a perfect one, the whole Labour Law protects workers interest more than employers.

The Head of the Policy and Research Department of the TUC, Dr Yaw Baah made the observation at a general meeting of the New Juaben Municipal Council of Labour at Koforidua on Monday. Dr Baah advised workers to go through all the necessary processes before embarking on any strike action, and explained further that, under the new Labour Law, workers, who had embarked on strike, could be called back to work after seven days. He observed that, though Ghana was not the poorest country in Africa, the salaries of public sector workers was among the lowest on the Continent. Dr Baah said it was in that direction that the TUC supported the idea of the Fair Wage Commission (FWC) that the Government had embarked upon, and advised members of the Union to cooperate with the various organisations that had been commissioned to evaluate the work of the various workers. He explained that, the TUC was urging the Government to adopt a living wage policy by the end of the work of the FWC. Dr Baah said under the current minimum wage policy, the salary of only the worker was considered in computing salaries, but under the living wage policy, wages of employees would be based on the daily requirement of two spouses and two children. He called on the Government to come out with a law to protect the dumping of foreign goods into the country, some of which were unwholesome. The Secretary General of TUC, Mr Kwesi Adu-Amankwa appealed to District Councils of Labour to hold regular meetings to discuss issues affecting them and when necessary to make pubic statement on Government policies. He explained that when workers commented on Government policies publicly, it would enable the National Executive of the TUC to support it, so that it would not be considered as the opinion of some few leaders but as the collation of views of workers in the country. Mr Adu-Amankwa urged the Unions to cooperate with Civil Society Organization working in their areas.