The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has presented the final National Employment Policy (NEP) and Implementation Plan at the National Tripartite Validation workshop to mobilise support to help achieve productive employment for all Ghanaians.

The validation of the draft NEP and implementation would provide a framework and content to achieve goals set by the government and social partners towards the ratification of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No.122).

Mrs Sina Chuma-Mkandawire, Director ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Gambia stated that Ghana NEP and Implementation Plan had been planned last year to culminate an actual product that the country had strived to achieve over the years.

She said Ghana deposited the instruments of ratification for three important conventions related to the achievement of decent work through social dialogue and these include the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No 138), the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No.144) and the Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 (No. 184).

Mrs Chuma-Mkandawire said ILO included Ghana in its pilot programme for strengthening the implementation of International Labour standards which would be implemented during 2012-2013.

She said ILO undertook a technical mission to Ghana in October 2011 during which extensive discussions were held and a national tripartite workshop held accordingly on reporting and submission of obligations of ILO Member States.

Mrs Chuma-Mkandawire noted that the workshop supported the development of a new national employment policy, prepared a national Occupational Safety and Health Profile for the country.

The drafting of relevant legislation for the implementation of the Radiation Protection Convention, 1990 (No.115), and the Guarding of Machinery Convention, 1963 (No.119) were aimed at supporting better application of the conventions.

“Political will and commitment were essential in the Better Ghana Agenda and the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA) and these should help attain and maintain the goal of full productive and freely chosen employment.”

Mr Antwi Boasiako Sekyere, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, said the draft NEP validation had undergone several conception periods since 2006 and was long overdue for the country to boast of a NEP and not a draft.

“Most government policies in the past have had implementation problems because of inadequate consultations with relevant stakeholders during their formulation stages which were seen as an imposition on the people and did not engender the requisite support for collaboration.”

He said it was significant that the stakeholders involved in the validation process would bring their expertise and experience to bare on the implementation so that the framework could be well managed by the country’s labour force and that the “public sector employment policy must focus on problems of labour turnover especially among qualified and experienced staff to attract and retain professionals.”

He said “prior to 1963, several public sector institutions were established to generate employment opportunities resulting in phenomenal increase in the annual growth rate of employment by 14 per cent in the government sector while the overall rate of increase was 4.2 per cent.

"Conscious efforts were made since the adoption of the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) in 1983 to address employment issues in the public sector which would focus on the restructuring of the workshop and compensation, "he added.**