Tema, Nov. 21, GNA – Mr Abraham Koomson, Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour has charged labour unions to set standards to help eliminate the abuse of its members in the working environment.
According to him, the abuse of workers and the lackadaisical behaviour by some employers towards the welfare of their workers was due to lack of quality standards by Labour Unions and leaders towards their members.
Mr Koomson stated during analyses of the 2022 Economic Policy and Budget presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance at the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office’s Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform.
The Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue is a media think-tank platform for state and non-state and commercial and business operators to communicate to the world.
Mr Koomson said “in the world of work you could be used as dormant if you do not raise your standard of operation hence the need for Labour Unions to be in the lead to promote the welfare of its members.
“If they know that you are not serious, they will use you. If you make yourself cheap that is your own problem. So basically, it all depends on their leaders, they must ensure that the welfare of their members is paramount and no employer will play with it”.
Mr Koomson who is also a Unionist cited an instance on how his office used section nine of the Labour Act to react to a policy by the Controller-General to use only the Ghana card to pay workers.
He added that, it was an act that must be emulated by other Labour Unions and organizations to project the welfare of its members at all times; “it was necessary for workers to market themselves to catch up with the corporate world”.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, GNA Tema Regional Manager explained that the Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform formed part of a broader objective of the Agency towards revamping its operations.
He said under the Management of Mr Albert Kofi Owusu the agency had embarked on a process of revamping its newsgathering operations, which included; recruitment, training of reporters and editors in the production of digital news content and the acquisition of modern digital equipment to aid speedy transmission of stories from the field.
He said GNA was poised to be the source of news on Ghana’s investment and industrialization drive, economic and tourism potential through story exchanges with its international partners, and Tema serving as a major industrial city, “GNA Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue Platform,” was critical.
“As Industrial News Hub, GNA-Tema has created a platform for industrial players to use, for other stakeholders to reach out in a proactive means while serving as grounds to address national issues”.
Mr Ameyibor said as the fourth estate of the realm, there was the need for GNA to reach out to government and people in authority with issues while bringing the understanding of government’s policy to the people.