The National Labour Commission has inaugurated a three-member Committee Chaired by Lawyer Adom Appiah, a Government nominee, to mediate industrial disputes emanating from the northern sector of the country.
The Commission has also inaugurated its second decentralized office outside of the Greater Accra region in Kumasi.
The other members of the Committee are Madam Georgina Yeboah representing the Ghana Employers Association and Madam Naomi Dedei Otoo standing in for Organized Labour.
The Committee was sworn in by the Kumasi Supervising High Court Judge, Justice Kofi Akrowiah after leading the members to swear the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy.
The Ashanti Regional Committee and Labour Commission Office is the second after the one in Secondi-Takoradi in the Western region.
Chairman of the National Labour Commission, Andrew Asamoah, who spelt out the mandate of the Regional Committee, noted that it is to investigate, facilitate and settle industrial disputes that would emanate from the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East. Ahafo, Northern, Savanna, North is East, Upper West and Upper East regions towards the creation of a harmonious industrial atmosphere to boost investor confidence.
Mr. Asamoah said the National Labour Commission exists to provide arbitration and resolution for dissatisfied employers and employees about their relationship at no financial cost and within a relatively shorter period of time compared with the normal court litigation.
The Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission, Ofosu Asamoah, said with the high number of complaints filed at the Accra office up to 120 a month, it has become imperative that the work of the Commission is decentralized to some of the regions and in future to the Districts in line with Section 144 of the Labour Act, Act 651. Such decentralized offices are therefore to speed up arbitration of work place disputes to reduce the work load on the national office.
The Chairman of the Ashanti Region Labour Committee, Adom Appiah, expressed gratitude to the National Labour Commission and the various entities that nominated the members for the trust reposed in them.
He assured that the Committee will work very hard to make the industrial front peaceful and harmonious for all the stakeholders.
Story filed by Nicholas Osei Wusu
