The National Labour Commission (NLC) has appealed to labour unions and other well-meaning Ghanaians and organisations to support the commission with funds, fuel and other logistics.
According to the Executive Secretary, Ofosu Asamoah, the NLC has not received its budgetary allocation for 2022 though the year is almost over.
He told Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show that the commission is understaffed with about sixty-nine (69) workers and only one lawyer who handles about one hundred and twenty (120) cases per month nationwide.
Mr. Asamoah also mentioned that if the government is not funding the commission, then it is imperative for labour unions, employers, and Ghanaians as a whole to take it up and fund the NLC just as some are contributing to the funding of the National Cathedral.
“People donate to the police, people contribute to other projects within their communities, why can’t we the workers who are likely to suffer injustices, wrongful dismal, unpaid salary and poor conditions of work contribute to the National Labour Commission?” Ofosu Asamoah quizzed
He admitted that NLC is 100% GOG funded but, however, workers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the work of the commission. They often petition and seek justice hence it is important for workers to ensure the effective running of the commission.
“The government is most of the time the respondent. The cases come from workers who are underpaid, from the media to the fuel pump attendant. Hardly does the government come against the workers, and at the end of the day, it is the individual workers who are the ultimate beneficiaries of our work” Mr. Asamoah noted.
The National Labour Commission is established under Part XVIII of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) to regulate the employment relationship in Ghana. Currently the commission handles an average of 120 labour cases monthly.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana