Pay all employee contributions to SSNIT - Employers advised

Employers who engage employees as contract staff, casual worker or on probation have been warned to pay such workers their Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) packages to the SSNIT on monthly basis or risk being sanctioned by the law.

The Upper East Regional Labour Officer, Mr Abdulai Salifu, who issued the warning at stakeholder’s forum, held in Bolgatanga on Monday, explained that per the labour law it was wronged for employers to refuse to pay the package of the SSNIT benefits of workers who are usually engaged as engage temporal and casual workers.

The Regional Labour Officer also impressed upon employees as who have been engaged on contract as staff, casual worker or on probation to give their SSNIT to their employers and to insist that they pay their contribution to SSNIT on regular basis.

The forum which was organized by Action Aid Ghana (AAG) under” the multi-country project titled “Zero Violence ”, funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK Government and being implemented in partnership with Frontline Aids and ActionAid UK, attracted employers from the non-formal sector.

The forum which was aimed at training employers in the informal sector, provided the opportunity for the Regional Directorate of the Labour Department to school the participants on the International Labour Organization Convention(CI90) on Violence and Harrassment in the World of Work.

The Regional Labour Officer who impressed upon the participants at the forum to endeavour to obey the labour laws by treating their employees fairly, stated that it was only through that productivity could increase at their respective working environment.

The Senior Labour inspector, Mr Issah Alhassan who took the participants through the Domestic Workers Regulation 2020 schooled the participants that just like workers in the formal sector who enjoy leave and holidays, Domestic Workers such as house helps, gardeners, security among others are also entitled to such conditions.

Addressing the participants the Programmes Officer of AAG , Mr Yakubu Akuka, explained that the forum was to enhance the knowledge of employers on the rights of workers so as to help promote the protection of the rights of workers, especially women in the informal sector.

He stated that research conducted by AAG in 2020 with focus of young urban women globally in the informal sector revealed that about 49 percent of such persons have been sexually abused in the world of work, 41 percent sexually harassed more than ones and 44 percent suffered “ repeated, sexual oriented bahviour such as touching, rubbing or groping. ”

Responding to the stakeholders to extend the training prgramme to employees, Mr Akoka, assured them that plans are far afoot to also target employees to educate them on their rights and responsibilities under the ILO convention 190 and Domestic Workers Regulation 2020.

The stakeholders commended AAG and the sponsors for organizing such programme and stressed that they would implement the knowledge acquired at the forum at their respective working places to ensure industrial harmony and peace.