According to the ICU, the situation has resulted in the piling of cases at the NLC.

The issue is also cited to have partly accounted for the unresolved labour issues currently before the NLC.

The General Secretary of the ICU, Solomon Kotei explains to Citi Business News that a further delay will have dire consequence for labour going forward.

His comments come in as part of assessment of the one year in office of the NPP led by President Akufo Addo.

“Labour, employers have been able to send their proposed commissioners but nothing has happened as of now. So from last year till date, it is only reconciliatory works that is being done at the Commission. There are neither the usual mediators nor arbitrators on their job and this is not very healthy because there is pile up,” he stated.

The mandate of the existing Commission expired at the latter part of 2017.

This therefore warranted the establishment of a new team to carry out the mandate.

Per law, the Commission at the NLC is expected to intervene in all labour cases brought before the NLC for redress.

Mr. Kotei further expressed worry over the lack of a decentralized system in the administration of the NLC.

He argues that the persistent nature of the system have also increased the workload of the NLC in Accra hence adding to the already burdened situation of cases to be resolved.

“We have also explained that because the NLC has only one office and the work has to be done by the nine Commissioners and the decision of the court is that until all the Commissioners sit, no judgement or decision could be made from the National Labour Commission. This has also resulted in the piling up of cases.”

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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According to the ICU, this will ensure that employers are able to sustain jobs and also absorb some of the teeming unemployed youth in the country.

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta during the 2018 budget presentation, announced that government is targeting a medium term (2018-2021) inflation rate of 8±2 percent, lower than the 11.2 percent targeted for 2017.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), Solomon Kotei said government needs to fulfill its promises including that of reducing inflation in 2018, since it had the whole of 2017 to plan and project.

“We see 2018 as a year that should come with fulfillment of governments’ promises. Inflation should remain where it is or better yet continue going down. This will make it possible for businesses to sustain jobs and employ more,” he stated.

Figures from the Ghana Statistical Service indicate that inflation has been on the decline since September 2016.

The figure has fallen from 17.2 percent in September 2016 to 11.7 percent as at November 2017.

The declining inflation trends come on the back of stable electricity supply coupled with tight policy stance, which has also largely accounted for the sustained stability in the local currency.

As part of projections for the 2018 fiscal year, the government has projected an average inflation rate of 9.8 percent and end year inflation of 8.9 percent for 2018.

In line with the medium-term policy objectives of the government, monetary policy is expected to continue to provide an anchor for inflation expectations and steer inflation towards the medium term target band of 8 ±2 percent.

While achieving this target can encourage savings and investments-as returns on investments are preserved, provision of a stable and reliable electricity supply, continuous stability of the Ghana cedi among others will be key.

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By: Bobbie Osei/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post ICU pushes for low inflation to sustain jobs appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the General Secretary of ICU, Solomon Kotei, it was time the “over time tax” which workers consider as a nuisance tax, was waived to lessen the burden on workers.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OggSWLsXeeIJ5jmauKnHgEvaXlVZaeoO”]Mr Kotei made the call at the official opening of the 10th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Union in Kumasi which was under the theme, “Our Employers’ Vision, our concern.”

“We want the President to consider directing the tax authorities to waive the ‘over time tax’ as it is serving as a greater disincentive for workers to perform over time work to meet the production targets of our employers,” he stressed.

Mr Kotei noted the waiving of other nuisance taxes earlier this year by the government was laudable, but Ghanaian workers would be much grateful if the overtime tax is also waived.

He also appealed to the government to ensure continuous supply of electricity and water to promote industrialisation as promised by the New Patriotic Party during the 2016 election campaign, because industries were affected by power crisis resulting in the laying off of some workers.

Mr Kotei advised union members to collaborate with employers towards increasing productivity. He expressed worry at increasing job losses as a result of automation in some organizations and urged employers to ensure a balance in the use of technology and human resource.

The Minister of Employment and Labor Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, gave the assurance that government would liaise with labour unions to solve problems of workers.

He said “we will continue to respect labour and see you as equal partners in determining the future of this nation”, and pledged to engage cabinet on the issue of “over time tax.”

Mr Baffour Awuah said that the Ministry was working towards the passage of an “Occupational, Health and Safety Bill, which will seek to tax employers who may engage personnel and make them responsible for their health and safety at the work place,” Mr Baffour Awuah revealed.

He, however, appealed to ICU to amicably solve the long standing problem with the Ghana Trades Union Congress as they were all fighting for one course, which is the welfare of the Ghanaian workers.

Source: Ghanaian Times

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