Accra (GAR), July 15, The Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare is investigating acts of exploitation of workers and abuse of the country’s labour laws by some employers. Speaking in an interview in Accra today, Alhaji Mumuni told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the decision to conduct the investigations followed a petition by the General-Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to the ministry. The complaint alleged among other things that some employers were taking advantage of the free export processing zone programme to exploit their workers. He warned that punitive measures would be taken against any investor who had infringed on the rights of workers, the labour laws and those of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions which Ghana is a signatory. Alhaji Mumuni said under the constitution, “it is the right of every worker to belong to any labour movement of his choice and no employer can stop him from doing so”, adding that “it is also the constitutional right of workers not to be exploited”. He said, before the introduction of the EPZ policy, the government was “, conscious of the record in other places ” and therefore we took steps and pains to incorporate into the EPZ Law, a social clause, to safeguard the interest of the workers”. The minister gave the assurance that the ministry was strictly monitoring the operations of companies operating under the EPZ ” to ensure that they comply strictly with rules, regulations and the standards of the labour laws” emphasising that ” the policy which the government is pursuing is human-centered and worker- friendly”.
