THE GHANA EDUCATION SERVICE: UNIONIZATION, COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING AND WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE
Political history shows that the first country to experience independence in Sub Saharan African country is Ghana Republic. However during those time of the late 50’s their economic condition is not stable and causes almost a 100 percent high rate of inflation. During those times they have experience economic depression and natural drought that result in low agricultural production, high priced commodity and unemployment. Economic issues and controversies cannot be controlled; military uprising occurred, these are all the reason that seems to make this country unable to surpass such economic deficiencies and lacking of fundamental control. This results in tremendous economic deterioration and faltering government system.
It was only until1983 when the government created the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank working together to design a stability structured policy that will uplift and promote the economic and political orientation of their country. This program makes it possible and hope for efficient restoration using the lending system of the banks and their resources. This show an evident result and somehow effective but not in the labor sector and manpower service. Still low salaries and wages of people are exercised but according to employers the cost of operating expenses is high, that brought about another problem.
Enterprises are force to choose massive layoff or closure of their companies until the labor casualisation has taken effect to protect the enterprise and not the people. Employers says that this is justifiable program rather than suffer by all means, while labor workers take pride of their job security and benefits to be negotiated by both parties and that if casualisation takes effect there will be no future in their company since most of them are not securely capable of such benefits.
In the study of casual labor force in University of Ghana’s Estate Department found out that there are about 40 to 45 percent casual employees in every company and they are the candidate for clean-up or mass layoff if such company deemed to be wise. Actually it was September 8, 1945 when the trade union congress in Ghana was established this union consists of small labor group. Its primary function is to encourage the formation of trade union to avoid the Industrial revolution and workers struggle and hardship against their employers but it has gone to history since it has not been applied in a long period of time the economy and labor forces still struggling over their foreign employer especially in salaries and wages.
In the year 1993 starts another trade union breakaway by some workers in the textile industry that has been followed by another 5 trade union in different industry and another breakaway in 2003 mostly in public sector. There are major services that this union is offering subdivided into three major classifications 1. Are collective bargaining agreement that usually covers the employer’s total conditions of their contracts including minimum salary and wages, bonus, benefit, productivity, and the laborers working conditions and most of all the laborers protection. 2. Grievance handling – if an employee has a grievances he can seek and address this to their immediate superior or if not satisfied with the decision he has receive then he can consult the labor union pertaining to the solution of his grievances or seek a mediator upon the resolution of some problems so as to eliminate violent reaction that causes massive strikes and workers absences and 3. Workers education – by having a thorough knowledge and the position upon employment, this will indicate his standings have not been disregarded and he knows all his right and privileges inside the company. These unions somehow managed to secure agreement that grows within the various industries. But some has cost job losses in establishing such union. It has been said that such rallies and strikes of workers are illegal, since it does not conform within the government predominantly within the labor laws since they are consist of small labor force.
There is so much to be studied in terms of labor laws but in conclusion this trade union would like to find their way a decent standard of living and would not want to be a slave in their own country by finding their rights in conformity of their services rendered. In fairness to their foreign employers, to be able to have a long term engagement, they must give whatever the laborers deserved after all the laborers are the ones who handle the toughest job to make the company grow.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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