Labour Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Gamey and Gamey, Austin Gamey, has
Labour consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Gamey and Gamey, Austin Gamey, has urged employers to adjust their pay policies to be commensurate with employee productivity to ensure satisfaction.
Speaking at a labour law forum in Accra, organised by The Business Executive, the renowned labour consultant said: “Now that business predictability is reasonably assured, it is for employers and unions to come together, work collaboratively to raise productivity levels, and pay the workers well by matching pay with productivity.”
According to him, once productivity levels are high, they will impact company revenue—thereby affecting the economy’s bottom line.
He said the workers of a company are integral to its success, stressing that effective communication between employer and employee can translate into higher productivity.
He therefore urged cooperation between labour and management to ensure success and progress in business.
“If labour and management cooperate and work together in a way that promotes the company’s financial health, safety, and health, while people have assurance of a good income, they will take their destinies into their own hands,” he said.
He stressed: “It is important that all parties work together to generate enough income that can be ploughed back into the business for growth. That way, everybody will be satisfied. Nobody will feel cheated. It is all about work and happiness.”
The forum’s purpose was to equip participants with adequate knowledge about the operationalisation of the labour law, how to resolve differences early, and build the needed capacity to apply the law in workplaces to prevent work stoppages and enhance productivity.
While delivering a lecture at the forum, the lawyer urged employers and employees alike to familiarise themselves with the labour law and how to apply it, saying: “The labour law is social legislation written with the mindset of helping the employer and the worker to work together collaboratively.”
The law explicitly defines the roles of both employer and employee. Ghana’s Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), is the primary legal framework that governs employment in Ghana. It provides for a 40-hour working week or 8 hours per day, where overtime is allowed but requires compensation.
Commenting on the labour shifts about to be witnessed when the 24-hour economic policy is fully operationalised in Ghana, the lawyer urged the government not to amend the country’s labour laws—stressing that there are already provisions in the legal framework for shift work.
“Our labour law is adequate enough to take care of that because we have a three-shift system in the law already,” he said.
He, however, urged the government to explore enhancing the law with some regulations.
According to him, introducing a legislative instrument (LI) to expatiate on the 24-hour economy would suffice. “You do not even need to amend the law,” he added.
While commending the proposed 24-hour economy and the prospective benefits it will have for the Ghanaian economy and workforce, the labour consultant cited an example from his related experience in Kenya, which has a sleepless economy.
“It is real. I was in Kenya recently to do a presentation on productivity, and we went to a shop at about 1am to buy things to prepare for our journey. So, if they don’t run a 24-hour economy, how do you get what you want at 1am?” he shared.
He therefore asserted: “Any nation that wants to be competitive in the world has no choice other than to operationalise a 24-hour economy”—emphasising the timeliness and relevance of the John Mahama administration’s 24-hour economy proposal.
“It’s a good thing that has been brought. I am sure we will embrace it and make it work,” he added.
However, dispelling fears that when the 24-hour economic policy—which has the potential to increase demand for labour—is implemented, employers may use contracts to exploit vulnerable workers, he classified those as rumours, saying: “I have heard that, but it’s not true. If you must employ, you employ.”