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ICU-Ghana backs NLC on appointment of commissioners
To deal effectively and expeditiously with labour grievances and disputes between workers and employers, and to give fair and equitable judgement to either parties as the case may be, the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union-Ghana (ICU) has thrown its weight behind the Executive secretary of the National Labour Commission’s (NLC) call to have, full-time Commissioners appointed to serve on the Commission.
It will be recalled that in the Saturday 28th August, 2021 issue of the Daily Graphic, the Executive Secretary of the NLC is reported to have asked that permanent and not part-time Commissioners must be appointed to serve on it.
With respect to the Executive Secretary’s genuine request for the provision to be made. Bro. Morgan Ayawine, General Secretary of ICU in an interview noted that, the ICU saw the Commission, – a tailor-made institution – as important in the justice system in Ghana and that it deserved serious attention.
He averred that the labour landscape in the country was replete with grievances and disputes between workers and employers, a development he saw as incompatible with growth and development of any nation whether a developing or developed country.
He said the ICU-Ghana, a heterogeneous trade union organisation with membership in over 700 companies and organisations has many unresolved grievances and disputes at the enterprise level being considered by the Commission, and that, the ICU could attest to the genuine concerns raised by the Executive Secretary of the Commission.
He explained that the part-time status of the Commissioners limited their sitting on cases to only once in a week and, indeed, affected the dispensation of justice both to workers and employers adding that, the situation created rancorous relationship between social partners at the workplace and ultimately affected productivity by lowering production, leading to revenue loss, low incomes and job losses to the detriment of the economy.
He noted further that, part-time sitting of Commissioners reflected the inadequacy of the sitting sessions thus giving rise to a backlog of cases left unatended to by the Commission, – a situation he described as unfortunate. “Government will have to resource the very under-resourced commission to deliver on its mandate effectively and efficiently and to give real meaning to the rule of law in Ghana” he said.
The General Secretary said the call for the appointment of Permanent Commissioners was in the right direction since, the world of work had changed due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with its consequential industrial disharmony at some workplaces.
“The situation we find ourselves in now demands that the National Labour Commission acts swiftly to adjudicate on cases before it” he said.
Bro Ayawine affirmed the ICU’s support for the suggestion that adjudication on cases brought before the Commission be done on daily basis to bring justice to aggrieved parties in time, “as justice delayed is justice denied”.
The ICU-Ghana, according to him supported the Executive Secretary’s appeal to government to absorb the fees and charges of mediators and arbitrators since some complainants were unable to afford. Thus denying them justice.
He appealed to organised labour and others in the labour fraternity as well as the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) to contribute their quota towards the empowerment of the National Labour Commission to enable it deliver effectively for the collective good of the nation and above all, to operate from a secure and convenient premises worthy of the Commission’s status
Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has assured the Accra Street Academy of his support in achieving its mission of uplifting vulnerable children within the community to break the cycle of poverty. “Without the needed support, your efforts may go round in circles due to the enormity of the task. This should not be left on the shoulders of the Academy alone. You need support from both government and the private sector. With that, the Academy would be in a good position to shape the future of these children on the streets,” he said.
The Accra Street Academy, originally formed in 1985 as a boxing arena, now serves as a school for deprived children, with most of its population numbering hundreds of pupils being neglected children from the streets of Jamestown and its environs. Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie made these remarks at the annual stakeholders’ meeting and fundraising event held over the weekend under the theme “Empowering Street Children: Health and Wellness.” The event is one of the Academy’s annual programmes, organized to raise funds and other forms of support to aid the school in catering to the needs of the children and holding its Christmas get-together.
According to the MP, it is worth noting that these children are taught and provided with two meals and a snack daily through the support of benevolent members of society. In view of this, he promised to facilitate the acquisition of documents needed for the construction of an Astroturf within the school’s premises. He noted that “every child has the right to play, and therefore I pledged to do my best to secure the needed documents” for the project to commence.
The legislator disclosed that over the years, the academic programmes of the Accra Street Academy have transformed children surviving on the streets into successful adults. He therefore urged other members of society to partner with the school to “help pupils rise higher for a better Ghana.” In the 2025/26 academic year, 22 pupils were absorbed by the Accra Metro Education Directorate as they transitioned into various Junior High Schools, while still returning to the Accra Street Academy for academic support.
Ms. Yvonne Abba-Opoku, a chartered governance advisor and senior executive in the nonprofit and charity sector, stated that the best gift to give a child was education.
By Spectator Reporter
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Mrs Regina Kudom, Senior Midwifery Officer at the New Atuabo Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, has urged expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinic regularly for safe delivery.
She revealed that “in Tarkwa and its environs many pregnant women prefer staying at prayer camps, we are not against that, you can be there, but when your time is up for your antenatal session make sure you attend.”
Mrs Kudom gave the advice when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) observed the World Prematurity Day with pregnant women at New Atuabo, Huniso and Awudua health centres.
World Prematurity Day falls on November 17, every year, and it is celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges faced by pre-term babies and their families.
She said research suggested that sex during pregnancy could soften the cervix and potentially aid in labour preparation.
“That is the reason why we encourage pregnant women to have sex with their partners, if they do not have any health implications,” she added.
Mrs Kudom appealed to the GFGF to upgrade the New Atuabo health centre as the current structure was too small because they received many patients daily.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, Project Coordinator for GFGF, explained that they received donations from Project C. U. R. E and the items were given to health facilities in their operational area.
She stated that they noticed there were baby dresses, sanitary pads, and baby apparel, so they decided to distribute them among expectant mothers in three of their host communities.
Madam Mohammed said because the foundation was interested in preventive care, they brought a midwife from the Tarkwa Mine hospital to educate the pregnant women.
She extolled the midwives in New Atuabo health centre for the education they gave to the pregnant women and implored them to heed to the advice given during antenatal visits to reduce maternal deaths in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities.
Mr Paa Kwasi Egan, Deputy Chief Physician Assistance, emphasised that a pregnant woman being anemic meant she was not eating a balance diet, and added that, “Some of these women do not have money to buy food or visit antenatal clinics.”
He said when men follow their wives for antenatal visits, they would be educated extensively on why they should provide funds for their pregnant wives.
Mr Egan, therefore, encouraged all men to be involved in their pregnant wives’ antenatal care appointments so they could learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. – GNA
