ICU condemns exploitation of workers

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has expressed worry over what it descreibed as the impunity with which some multinational companies in the country are exploiting Ghanaian workers.

It said some foreign firms often abused the privilege of engaging workers on a casual basis, without regularising the workers’ employment after working with them for many years.

“A sizeable number of companies, particularly multi-national companies, are employing new methods of outsourcing, such as casualisation and contractualisation of labour, to save cost and maximise profits,” it stated .

Speaking at this year’s Precarious Workers Day in Accra, the Secretary General of the ICU, Mr Solomon Kotei, said, “Casual workers are denied a rest period, paid public holiday and sick leave, which are a further breach of the Labour Act.”

The event, held on the theme, “Stop precarious work”, was meant to highlight pertinent issues affecting the working class in the country.

Alarming abuse

Mr Kotei said the infraction of Section 75 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) that granted companies the privilege to engage casual and temporary workers was reaching alarming proportions.

He added that the abuse of workers’ rights was prevalent among “Indian, Chinese and Lebanese business communities”.

Baffling statistics

According to him, “about 80 per cent of workers are not unionised, 54 per cent have no written contracts with their employers and about 28.9 per cent between 18 and 54 do not benefit from Social Security and National Insurance Trust  (SSNIT) contributions”.

“Besides, about 80 per cent of workers are paid salaries ranging from a minimum of GHc70 to a maximum of GHc700 per month, with educational qualifications ranging from a minimum of middle school leaving certificate to a maximum of tertiary education qualification,” he added.