The National Labour Commission (NLC) has been urged to strengthen its institutional capacity and embrace innovation to effectively respond to emerging labour challenges driven by artificial intelligence (AI), climate change and digital transformation.
The call was made at a stakeholders’ forum held in Accra yesterday to mark the Commission’s 20th anniversary under the theme: “Two Decades of the Work of the National Labour Commission: Lessons, Experience, Challenges and the Way Forward.”
The forum brought together government officials, employers, organised labour and other social partners to assess the Commission’s achievements over the past two decades and deliberate on strategies to enhance its effectiveness in a rapidly evolving world of work.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, the Chief Director of the ministry, Mr Hamidu Adakurugu, said the future of work demanded resilient and forward-looking labour institutions capable of anticipating and addressing emerging employment challenges.
He said the Commission must leverage technology, deepen research, expand its presence across the regions and strengthen international partnerships to remain responsive to changing workplace dynamics.
Mr Adakurugu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting dialogue, cooperation and consensus-building among employers and workers as the foundation for industrial harmony and national development.
The Executive Secretary of the NLC, Dr Bernice A. Welbeck, called on employers and workers to ensure that employment relationships were governed by Ghana’s labour laws to reduce workplace disputes and promote decent work.
She explained that the Commission enforced compliance with minimum labour standards covering recruitment, disciplinary procedures and termination of employment.
Dr Welbeck expressed concern that disputes arising from termination of employment accounted for about 58 per cent of cases handled by the Commission, and urged employers to strictly adhere to due process when disciplining or dismissing workers.
The chairman of the NLC, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, described the Commission as a cornerstone of Ghana’s industrial relations architecture, saying it had, over the past 20 years, resolved numerous disputes through mediation, arbitration, adjudication and other dispute resolution mechanisms.
He said the Commission’s work had significantly contributed to industrial peace and national stability and called on stakeholders to build a stronger, more responsive institution capable of meeting the demands of Ghana’s evolving labour market.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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