Sogakope (Volta Region) 26 May '99

Labour laws in the country are to be codified into a single, handy and more coherent document by the end of this year.

This is to safeguard Ghana's global competitiveness in the next millennium. This was made known at the opening of a four-day labour forum aimed at reforming labour laws in the country.

The forum was jointly organised and sponsored by the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and American-based Sigma One Corporation.

It is being attended by about 100 participants from the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Universities, Civil Service, Parliamentary Select Committee on Employment, Ghana Employers' Association (GEA), Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and other workers' organisations.

The participants would discuss a draft labour bill and come out with a single codified document that provides a broad framework for the drafting of a new labour legislation that promotes flexibility in the country's labour market.

The Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills told participants that the improvement of human and social conditions in the country requires nothing less than a reorientation of the whole basis of its development.

"Such reorientation must build upon and strengthen our existing capacities while reviewing and transforming old laws in order to keep abreast with development.

"The main aim must be to make our environment sufficiently attractive to both domestic and foreign investors to ensure our global competitiveness", he said.

Prof. Mills, therefore, urged the participants to make dispassionate recommendations with the view to coming out with a document that would serve both national and sectoral interests.

"To achieve this, you need to keep in mind our broader national goals and aspirations as well as our country's specific needs and circumstances", he said.

Panellists at the forum noted that labour laws in the country are fragmented, obsolete, rigid and "investor-unfriendly".

They said the supporting institutional arrangements are inefficient and sometimes hostile.

They observed that for the past 50 years, labour laws in the country have not been amended despite the several challenges they have faced in terms of industrial unrest and its resultant threat to investors.

Mr Ishmeal Yamson, President of the GEA, noted that due to the ancient nature of the labour laws, Ghanaian enterprises have not been competitive over the past five decades.

"There must, therefore, be significant amendments in these laws to reflect international market competitiveness, if Ghana was to survive in the next millennium".

Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, said, "Ghana can no longer wait but must review its laws to fit into the current national development programme as well as the international framework of development".

The Ministry is determined to complete the law by the close of the year, adding that when completed, it would provide standard procedures to ensure fairness and inspire confidence and trust between organised labour and its employers.

The new law is also expected to provide processes for transparent, realistic and speedy resolution of industrial unrest and ensure better working conditions and higher sense of responsibility among employees.

The Minister said the new law would take cognisance of the Constitution and international labour laws to safeguard the interest of all stakeholders.

Mr Christian Appiah Agyei, Secretary-General of the TUC, said the new law must seek to correct the erroneous notion that cheap labour attracts investors.

He added that research has proved that cheap labour kills a nation's global competitiveness.