Parliament Approves Budget For National Labour Commission

Ghana’s Parliament yesterday approved a budget of GH˘1,573,195 for the National Labour Commission (NLC) for the year ending December 31, 2012.

Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, moved the motion for the approval and was seconded by Dr Anthony Osei Akoto, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee.

He said the amount is meant to pay compensation for employees, provide goods and services and acquire assets.

Meanwhile in the Committee’s report signed by Mrs Rosemary Arthur Sarkodie, Clerk, Committee on Employment Social Welfare and Mr Prince Jacob Hayibor, Chairman of the Committee, said the Commission plans to organise workshops, seminars and produce educational materials to create awareness on labour laws and regulations, research into labour related issues, while labour market information for decision-making will be disseminated.

In addition, the NLC will improve the training and effective use of mediators and arbitrators and sponsor key staff to be trained in specialised labour both locally and abroad.

The Committee recommended that the Commission should educate stakeholders and other social partners, including the Ghana Association of Private Schools, on the Labour Act.

It also observed that the Commission has only two lawyers which do not augur well for speedy and efficient settlement of industrial disputes and that if it continued, parties to industrial disputes will lose confidence in the Commission and resort to strikes, demonstration and violent confrontation in resolving disputes.

The Committee therefore reiterated its call to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to grant the Commission special dispensation to enable it employ the requisite staff needed for the successful execution of its mandate.

It observed that no allocation was made for the establishment of regional and district offices in the 2012 estimates of the Commission and called on the Government to raise additional resources to enable it establish offices in the regions and districts.

The Committee urged the Commission to liaise with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Regional Coordinating Councils and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to work out the possibilities of acquiring office accommodations at the local levels.

Source: GNA