TEMA, Ghana, 1st October: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has called on the government to appoint a Deputy Minister for Labour, Employment and Job Creation in Ghana to help manage the workload at the ministry and strengthen engagement with organised labour.
According to Mr Koomson, the demands of the ministry require additional leadership, particularly to ensure effective communication and timely resolution of labour-related issues.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Adekyee Mu Nsem on Thursday, October 1, Mr Koomson acknowledged President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to running a government with no more than 60 ministers, but argued that the administration could still make an exception by appointing a deputy for the Employment Ministry.
He noted that the previous administration operated with more than 100 ministers and suggested that the appointment of a Deputy Minister of Employment would significantly support the sector.
Mr Koomson said such an appointment would help improve communication between the government and labour unions, particularly on issues that have the potential to trigger industrial action.
He explained that while the substantive Employment Minister would be occupied with official travels, meetings and Cabinet responsibilities, a deputy could focus specifically on labour relations and engagement with organised labour.
“The Employment Ministry needs a deputy minister because of the workload. The minister will be travelling, attending meetings and Cabinet meetings, so there should be someone who will concentrate on labour relations and engage the unions,” he said.
His comments come in the wake of a strike declared by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers’ Association of Ghana (PRETAG) over a number of outstanding concerns.
Among the issues raised by the teacher unions are delays in the payment of the 20 percent Deprived Area Allowance and the failure to place promoted teachers who have qualified for higher grades on the government payroll.
The unions are also demanding the immediate placement of about 8,000 teachers who they say have successfully passed their promotion examinations but are yet to be placed on the payroll.
Mr Koomson believes that stronger and more consistent communication between the government and organised labour could have helped address the concerns earlier and potentially prevented the industrial action.
He therefore urged the government to strengthen its engagement with labour unions to ensure that grievances are addressed before they escalate into industrial disputes.
