Cape Coast, (Central Region) 2 Mar. '99,

The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni, has said that for the nation to survive and grow in the global economic arena, the labour market as well as the labour movement must be investor friendly. He noted that the current situation on the labour market is one of an on-going change in response to economic reforms, but there is concern that the current legislative and dispute resolution framework are unable to cope with economic changes. Addressing and extra-ordinary congress of the Trades Union Congress at the University of Cape Coast yesterday, Alhaji Mumuni said the current legislation and administrative system for adjudicating labour complaints and disputes is geared as an adversarial system of union versus management, which takes a long time to resolve The four-day extra-ordinary congress being attended by 331 delegates from all the 17 national unions of the TUC is to review the constitution of the TUC, which had remained virtually static for well over three decades. There were also local observers from Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Civil Servants Association as well as external delegates from the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations AFL-CIO and Organisation of African Trade Unions Unity (OATUU). Alhaji Mumuni said the current legislation helps only those in the formal sector and not the vast majority of workers, who are found in the informal sector. The Minister stressed that a more simplified system needs to be developed by the social partners to serve the interest of all workers. The Minister the role expected of the TUC now is completely different from what was carved out for it under the Industrial Relations Act of 1965 - that is an arm of government representing labour. Alhaji Mumuni said it was gratifying to note that the extra- ordinary congress aims at making the new constitution of the TUC gender sensitive.

GRi