Govt committed to engaging Labour unions for the country’s Devt

The Executive body of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Monday paid a courtesy call on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House to discuss issues that will improve and sustain the industrial peace in the country.

The delegation, led by TUC Chairman, Peter Yeboah and the Secretary General, Dr. Yaw Baah, said, in the spirit of social partnership and shared understanding of the President’s vision for Ghana, “we can achieve prosperity for all the good people of our dear nation, Ghana.”

The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, centred on how the tripartite partners— government, employers, organised labour led by TUC, work together to address the litany of issues confronting the industrial front.

Other issues confronting the industrial front that were discussed include, the EGG concession, the sale of specified thermal plants owned by VRA, issues relating to SSNIT, pension schemes for public sector workers, importation of fake textile into the country and issues relating to occupational health and safety.

In an interview after the close door meeting, the Minister for Labour, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, said government was opened to discussing the issues for the mutual benefit of both parties and for the betterment of the people of Ghana.

With the EGG concession, the Minister said government was committed to ensuring Ghanaian participation in the concession.

He indicated that it was President Akufo-Addo’s conviction that no worker would be worse off either before or into the concession adding, “the President will want to assure labour that no worker is going to lose his or her position because of the concession.”

Hon. Bafour Awuah indicated that government has accepted the recommendation that the National Labour Commission extends its services to the other 9 regions.

On the transfer of Tier 2 pension scheme, he noted that a committee had been setup by the Ministries of Labour and Finance together with the labour unions working on a tied timetable to ensure that the transfers were effected not later than the end of November, 2017.

The President as part of his program to reached out to all stakeholders in the nation, accepted the invitation of TUC and asked that regular interactions and engagements should be held for the common  good of the people of Ghana.