The National Labour Commission has urged workers and employers to resort to dialogue in settling their differences.
In its goodwill message to Ghanaian workers on the occasion of May Day celebrations, the NLC said using dialogue to resolve conflicts was an effective means of ensuring a peaceful industrial environment in the country.
“On such an occasion, it is important to remind both the workman (workers) and capital (employers) on the need to strengthen their relationship through social partnership and to improve upon their communication through social dialogues, as this is an effective means to ensure a peaceful industrial relations environment for the promotion of investment and the creation of sustainable jobs,” it said.
The NLC noted that although there were challenges to addressing labour disputes internally, both parties must commit to the process of resolving privately and amicably.
“As an institution, the NLC is aware of the many challenges that confront and continued to confront both workers and employers in the employment relationship in managing, handling and settling industrial disputes. However, we are of the firm believe that, if parties in the relationship commit themselves to due process in the internal management of grievances and also ensure co-operation in times of industrial disputes, we can maintain some appreciable level of industrial stability both at the enterprise level and the country as a whole,” a statement signed by Ofosu Asamoah, the Executive Secretary of the NLC said.
Ghana’s industrial environment has in recent times enjoyed relative stability after several years of incessant disputes and agitations.
A recent labour agitation that attracted national attention was that the workers of Gold Fields Ghana Limited who kicked against the company’s management’s decision to opt for contract mining, which is expected to result in retrenchments.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citinewsroom.com/Ghana