The National Labour Commission (NLC) inaugurated a Regional Committee of the Commission in the Western Region on 27th March, 2019. The establishment of the Regional Committee is in pursuance of section 144 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
The Three-Member Tripartite Regional Committee of the commission is made up of Mr. Robert Kojo Zantey from Organised Labour, Mr. William Agyei Amponsah representing Employers Organization and Dr. Sofia Baidoo Baiden, representing Government.
The establishment of a Regional Committee in the Western Region, which is the first of the four (4) Regional Committee to be established under the Commission medium term strategy is to bring the services of the Commission closer to its clients in the regions and specifically in areas described as “Flash Points” due to their strategic locations and industrial settings of which the Western Region is one.
The Chairman of the National Labour Commission, Mr. Andrew Kwabena Asamoah inaugurating the Committee called on the members of the Regional Committee to work hard and deliver justice fairly and equitably.
He observed that the time has come for the Commission to decentralize its work by establishing Regional Committees in line with Section 144 of Labour Act 651 for the expeditious resolution of industrial disputes and the general maintenance of industrial peace.
The Members of the Committee were sworn into office by His Lordship, Justice Philip Mensah, the Supervising High Court Judge of the Western Region.
The Western Regional Committee of the Commission is to service the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and its environs.
The inauguration was followed by a two-day sensitization workshop on the Employment Relationship under the Labour Act and the work of the NLC.
The Opening Ceremony was attended by some government officials and representatives of the social partners. Mrs. Gifty Kusi, Deputy Western Regional Minister, who stood in for the Western Regional Minister expressed her joy at the step the Commission had taken to inaugurate a Committee of the Commission in the region, and hoped that with this initiative, the industrial relations climate in the region will be relatively calm.
The Deputy General Secretary of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Joshua Ansah, on behalf of the Organised Labour also thanked the Commission for inaugurating a Committee of the Commission in the Regions as according to him this will go a long way in addressing industrial disputes that may arise in the region.
He, however, prayed government to provide the needed resources that will ensure the effective running of the Commission’s activities at both the National and Regional level.
The Sensitization Workshop was themed on four main areas as follows:
- General overview of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) by Mr. Paul Osei-Mensah, a former Member of the Commission who is also a retired Teacher, Trade Unionist a Mediator/Arbitrator and a Lawyer.
- The Dispute Settlement Procedures under Act 651 was presented by Professor Kofi Quashigah, Dean of the School of Law, University of Ghana, a Legal Practitioner and Mediator/Arbitrator.
- Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining was also presented by Mr. Paul Osei-Mensah.
At the end of the programme, participants expressed their joy and appreciation to the commission for taking such an important step to establish a Regional Committee in the region and for the very educating and enlightening workshop.
By: EUNICE LAWER