Participants at the workshop. INSET: Mr Solomom Kotei (2nd left), General Secretary, ICU, giving his address at the validation workshop at the ICU Centre in Accra.

Comply with provisions of Labour Law

Charles Andoh Dec - 18 - 2014 , 23:03

A survey carried out by the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has revealed a gross abuse of workers’ rights, in spite of the Labour Law, which guarantees the rights of the country’s workers.

The survey, carried out in one year, was conducted in the Greater Accra, Western and Central regions and focused mainly on the food and hospitality industry.

ICU-SASK project

The result of the survey was made known at a one-day validation workshop on occupational health and safety in Accra.

The programme was put together by the ICU and its international partner, Trade Union Solidarity Centre of Finland (SASK). The occasion also marked the launch of the results of the survey which was on “Occupational Safety and Health Conditions in the Food and Hospitality Sector in Ghana.”

Its objective was to promote occupational health and safety at the workplace, particularly in the hospitality industry.

Research findings

A desk officer at the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Daniel Owusu Boatey, said the survey showed that workers rights were being abused at an alarming rate and described the situation as worrying.

While some employees worked for more than eight hours, Mr Boatey said the survey also established that others did not have rest or break periods at all.

On work place hazards, Mr Boatey said “slipping and falling are the most common workplace hazards for the workers. More than two-thirds of the workers indicated that they faced this kind of hazard. These are also the major causes of accidents at the workplaces,” he said.

Mr Boatey added that close to one-third of managers admitted that they had no knowledge of environmental laws or regulations at their workplaces.

Recommendations

On the violations of workers’ rights, Mr Boatey attributed the problem to the weakness of state institutions mandated to ensure compliance and enforcement of labour regulations.

“Government, through its ministries, agencies and departments such as the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, and Factories Inspectorate Division of the Labour Department ,must double its efforts in ensuring that provisions in the Labour Law are complied with,” he said.

Mr Boatey also called on the ICU to find out the grievances of their members, with regard to what is happening at their various workplaces, and fashion out ways to address them immediately.

The ICU should also intensify educational campaigns to sensitise their members to their rights and responsibilities at work, he charged.