Accra, Jan. 4, GNA - The National Labour Commission (NLC) on Wednesday called on employers and workers to cooperate with the Commission in a collective effort to maintain a peaceful industrial relations climate this year.

The Commission said efforts to maintain peaceful industrial relations would require that provisions of the Labour Law guided employment relations.

In a New Year Message released in Accra, the Commission said last year witnessed a number of strikes and lockouts resulting from lack of understanding of the Labour Law, in particular, the dispute settlement procedures.

The Commission said it would intensify public education on the Law this year in the hope that increased awareness of the Law would translate into changing attitudes to the practice of industrial relations.

"Unless there is substantial attitudinal change on the part of the social partners, the vision that guided their collaboration for the enactment of a new Labour Law would never be attained." The Commission stated that the petitions it received last year included refusal of some employers to permit their workers to form trade unions, non-maintenance of statutory standards on occupational health and safety and the failure of some workers to protect the interests of their employers.

"Understanding the Labour Law, the Commission hopes, would contribute in reducing the infringements that are responsible for industrial disagreements."

The Commission therefore advised employers and workers to strive to deepen their social partnership by showing mutual respect for their respective rights and responsibilities so as to enhance productivity for increased profitability and creation of new jobs. 04 Jan. 06