Chief Justice Georgina Wood, on Thursday called on the National Labour Commission (NLC) to ensure that it takes unquestionable decisions.
She said �The more your decisions are questioned on appeal, the more the Commission loses credibility and the more the industrial relations climate becomes poisoned with lawlessness.
�The more your decisions are able to stand the test of time in the Courts, the more credible and well positioned you become to deliver your mandate of promoting law and order in the industrial relations environment.�
Chief Justice Wood said these at the opening session of a two -day workshop on settlement of labour disputes, under the Labour Act 2003 Act 651, organized by the NLC for its social partners, government officials, organized labour and employers in Ho.
She reminded the Commissioners that they were obliged to ensure that �your decisions are well-founded in law as well as industrial relations practices to avoid being questioned.�
Chief Justice Wood told the Commission that its ability to deliver on its mandate would help to reduce the burden on the
traditional Courts to deliver �justice to disputing parties on time.�
She urged all social partners to support the NLC by respecting its decisions, orders and directives in as much as they were consistent with the law and procedure.
In a statement read on his behalf, the Minister for Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah said the cordial relationship between social partners and relevant labour market institutions has ensured relative industrial peace in the country.
He said the sustenance of the peaceful industrial climate required that �we submit ourselves and adhere to the provisions of the labour law, and respect institutions established to settle disputes whenever they occur.�
The Chairman of the Commission, Mr Joseph Akom Aryitey said the representation of Government, employers and organised labour on
the Commission has helped to avert any attempts at influencing its work.
He said that it gives the assurance �that Commissioners will act confidently and debate issues objectively to arrive at decisions.
However, we are convinced that we are not in a popularity contest and so should only act by the oath we swore.�.
The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Colonel Cyril Necku (rtd) observed that the workshop was timely in view of tension in the labour front.
He said �the relevance of the Labour Act as well as the role of the Labour Commission has become critical when appropriate skills are required to resolve unrest on the labour front, especially with the advent of the implementation of the Single �Spine Salary Structure.�
The workshop would focus on mediation process, processes of voluntary arbitration and compulsory arbitration, lessons and challenges in dispute settlement, enforcement of Commission�s decisions, processes of facilitation of negotiation of labour disputes and expectations of Government.