Labour Union in Ghana on Wednesday called for immediate review of existing labour laws which they described as colonial and affront to the dignity and sweat of the Ghanaian workers.
According to the unions, the prevailing laws do not provide adequate protection in terms of job and income security as well as health and safety for workers.
The sate-owned Daily Graphic reported on Thursday that the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah, called for the urgent review, when he spoke on behalf of the labour unions in the country during the May Day celebration in Accra on Wednesday.
According to the TUC leader, the labour unions have already made a case to the National Tripartite Committee for the review of the labour laws, especially the National Labour Act, to protect the interest of workers in Ghana.
Giving reasons why they should review the laws, he was quoted as saying that “there are still hundreds of Ghanaians workers, who are paid below the minimum wage of GHC270 (about $54) per month. Many employees have been working for decades without employment contract”.
He noted that many Ghanaian workers are denied their fundamental human rights to join unions because they could be sacked by their employers, citing telecommunication companies and hotels as the worse culprits.
DAP/GIK/APA