Tema-Ghana, July 24, GNA – Dr William Mensah-Ansah an Industrialist on Monday said utilising strikes in modern-day labour engagement is due to weak negotiation skills and called on labour and union leaders to increase their capacity to interact with employers.
He cited the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) social dialogue document as a means of promoting social justice, inclusive economic growth, higher wages and working conditions, and long-term enterprise.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema, Dr Mensah-Ansah emphasised that instruments of good governance at all levels, from the local to the global, provided an enabling climate for the attainment of decent work for all.
According to him, the ILO’s idea of social dialogue was based on negotiation, consultation, and the exchange of information between governments, employers, and labour organisations.
According to him, ILO projects included collective bargaining between employers or employers’ organisations and workers’ organisations, as well as dispute prevention and resolution, and other approaches such as workplace cooperation, international framework agreements, and social dialogue in the context of regional economic communities.
Dr. Mensah-Ansah remarked that the ILO Governing Body had just recently begun debating the right to strike, highlighting that strike or industrial action had matured into a topic that must be addressed holistically.
He also stated that the ILO’s social dialogue philosophy is based on robust, autonomous, and representative employer and worker organisations, as well as technical assistance capacity to participate in social interaction and access to crucial information.
“Political will, trust, and commitment to engage in social dialogue by all parties, respect for the fundamental rights of freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, and an enabling legal and institutional framework for dialogue must be established,” he said.
According to Dr. Mensah-Ansah, employers are a key asset in any society.
He highlighted that successful enterprises are at the heart of any effort to create jobs and improve living circumstances, and that labour unions should avoid unjustifiable strikes.
The Industrialist noticed that employers had remained silent for a long period while labour unions embarked on unjustifiable strikes. “These unjustified strikes are harmful to both employers and customers.
“The primary goal of employers is to help create conditions for enterprise success by influencing the environment in which they operate and by providing services that improve their individual performance.”
As a result, Dr. Mensah-Ansah advised labour unions to strengthen their negotiation abilities to engage the government and other businesses on an equal footing.
“The best way to resolve labour issues is through health dialogue, not an antagonistic and hostile platform. A strike is a form of industrial war; at the first sign of misunderstanding, we must stop going to war with our employers,” he stated.
