ICU calls on government to clamp down on unprincipled employers

The General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana), Morgan Ayawine has called on the government to clamp down on anti-nation builders parading as employers.

According to Mr Ayawine, the casual, contract and temporary work regime, had been entrenched and mainstreamed so much so that even some permanent employees were outsourced by some unprincipled employers to employment agencies.

“This redeploy them back into the same organisation as casuals or contract workers with reduced salaries and denial of social insurance like SSNIT thus jeopardising their future financial security,” he said.  

Highlighting this in a press release on Wednesday, Mr Ayawine said the clamp down would bring fairness and equality to the employment structure in Ghana.

He stated that the ICU-Ghana was ready to collaborate with the authorities to name, shame and sanction those exploitative employers so as to sanitise the employment system for the good of all stakeholders.

“If the precarious work regime is not stopped it would further deteriorate the prospects of those unfortunate workers ever having any future financial security as this repressive regime of work denies them of any social insurance and protection for the future,” he stated.

Mr Ayawine further called on all labour organisations in the country and government to join and demand for the immediate cessation of entrenching casual and contract work beyond the seasonal job period of six months.

“Although the casual, contract and temporary work regime is allowed by the Labour Laws of Ghana for a limited period not exceeding six months and for seasonal jobs, employers are abusing the fundamental human rights of workers, to illegally maximise profits,” he said.

Adding that, this constitutes an unfair labour practice and it must not be allowed to fester any longer.

The “World Day for Decent Work” is marked every year on October 7 by the Labour Movement all over the world.

This is to garner support for the implementation and sustainability of “Decent Work” which is the work that gives equal pay for equal work, opportunity for personal development and future financial security of workers.

BY TIMES REPORTER