The Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah has told Citi Business News his outfit will investigate demands from workers of the National Labour Commission for their boss to be sacked.
It follows an official complaint from the workers and defence by the management, to be presented to the Ministry on Thursday.
“I do not know the gravity of the issues the workers are raising. I have said that when the issue comes before us, it will inform us as to what to do next,” Mr. Baffour Awuah told Citi Business News.
The workers of the NLC want the Executive Secretary, Charles Adongo Bawa Duah relieved of his post over allegations of unfair termination of the appointment of two staff members and other concerns over his management style.
The Senior Industrial Relations Officer at the NLC, Eric Omane Yeboah alleges that the political affiliation of Mr. Bawa Duah with the NDC defeats the independence of the NLC in executing its mandate.
“Most definitely the NLC is a neutral institution and under the public service; all things being equal, public servants are non-partisan and therefore I cannot go and represent a political party and still hold myself in a public office. We are therefore saying that he cannot still remain in office when his government is not in power,” he stated.
Even though the NLC is the body mandated to resolve all labour issues in the country, the Minister has ruled out any significant impact of the workers’ agitation on the Commission’s work.
“I do not think it will affect the cases before the commission; that is why I visited the premises and finally convinced the workers to unlock the offices.”
Mr. Charles Adongo Bawa Duah was appointed as the new Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC) in April 2016.
His appointment came at a time where the commission was saddled with uneasy calm following the delay in appointing a substantive Executive Secretary.
The workers were agitated by the long period Dr. Bernice Anowa Welbeck served as Acting Executive Secretary of the NLC.
Meanwhile the Employment Ministry has resolved to update the public with the details of its investigations.
“The NLC is a strategic institution in the country resolving labour issues and that it if it should have a problem at that level, then the public must be made aware in our efforts to address them,” the sector minister said.
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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
