ILO holds Multinational Enterprises National Dialogue on decent work in Ghana

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has held a high-level corporate national dialogue for the realisation of decent work in Ghana in multinational enterprises (MNE). 

The dialogue held in Tema was on the theme “Promoting Sustainable, Responsible and Inclusive Business Practices in Ghanaian Industries.” 

The dialogue was attended by state agencies such as the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment and Labour Office, workers unions, and private enterprises. 

Mr. David Marcos, Project Manager for the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work, said trade was very important to a country’s development, adding that no country has become rich by isolating themselves. 

Mr. Marcos indicated that decent work was very important to the ILO, noting that without decent work, multinational enterprises would not be able to access the international market with their products. 

He stated, for instance, that some past incident in the textile industry in Bangladesh, which led to the death of about 1,000 due to issues of decent work, left the industry almost collapsed. 

During a panel discussion on challenges and opportunities for achieving decent work linked to operations of multinational enterprises in Ghana, union representatives raised issues with maltreatment of workers by some multinational enterprises. 

It also came to light that among the requirements of multinational enterprises, they must transfer technical skills, among others, to Ghanaians and employ the locals. 

Issues of a lack of requisite skills among locals making it difficult for them to be employed at top levels of companies, as well as the language barrier between management of such companies and state agencies such as the Labour Office, were discussed. 

Participants requested that state agencies that attract investors to Ghana inform them about Ghana’s laws and the importance of protecting workers before granting operational licenses. 

They also urged agencies responsible for enforcing the laws and inspecting factories to do so frequently to protect the rights of the Ghanaian workers. 

The panelists include Madam Joyce Abdulai, Senior Human Resource Officer, GIPC; Mr. Francis Bibuksi Assistant Chief Labour Officer; Mr. Kenneth Koomson, Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour; Mr. Abdul-Moomin Gbana, General Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union; and Mr. Theodore Mawuli Amezah, Senior Planning Officer at the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment.

Source: GNA

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