By Kingsley Webora TANKEH
A labour consultant and Chief Executive Officer of Gamey and Gamey, Austin Gamey, has urged employers to adjust their pay policies to be commensurate with employee productivity to ensure satisfaction.
Speaking at a labour law forum in Accra organised by The Business Executive, the renowned labour consultant said: “Now that business predictability is reasonably assured, it is for employers and unions to come together, work collaboratively to raise productivity levels and pay the workers well by matching the pay with productivity”.
According to him, once productivity levels are high, it will have an impact on company revenue – thereby affecting the economy’s bottom-line.
He said the workers of a company are integral to its success, stressing that effective communication between employer and employee can translates into higher productivity.
He therefore urged cooperation between labour and management to ensure success and progress in business.
“If labour and management cooperate and work together in a way that promotes the company’s financial health, safety and health while people have assurance of a good income, they will take their destinies into their own hands,” he said.
He stressed: “It is important that all parties work together to generate enough income that can be ploughed back into the business for growth. That way, everybody will be satisfied. Nobody will feel cheated. It is all about work and happiness”.
The forum’s purpose was to equip participants with adequate knowledge about operationalisation of the labour law and how to resolve differences early and build the needed capacity to activate the law in workplaces to prevent work stoppages and enhance productivity.
While delivering a lecture at the forum, the lawyer urged employers and employees alike to familiarise themselves with the labour law and how to apply it, saying: “The labour law is a social legislation written with the mindset of helping the employer and the worker to work together collaboratively”.
The law explicitly defines the roles of both employer and employee. Ghana’s Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) is the primary legal framework that governs employment in Ghana. It provides for a 40-hour working week or 8 hours per day, where overtime is allowed but requires compensation.
Commenting on the labour shifts about to be witnessed when the 24-hour economic policy is finally operationalised in Ghana, the lawyer urged government not to amend the country’s labour laws – stressing that there’s already provisions in the legal framework for shift-work.
“Our labour law is adequate enough to take care of that because we have a three-shift system in the law already,” he said.
He however urged government to explore enhancing the law with some regulations.
According to him, introducing a legislative instrument (LI) to expatiate on the 24-hour economy would suffice. “You do not even need to amend the law,” he added.
While commending the proposed 24-hour economy and prospective benefits it will have for the Ghanaian economy and workforce, the labour consultant cited an example with his related experience in Kenya which has a sleepless economy.
“It is real. I was in Kenya recently to do a presentation on productivity and we went to a shop at about 1am to buy things to prepare for our journey. So, if they don’t run a 24-hour economy, how do you get what you want at 1am?” he shared.
He therefore asserted: “Any nation that wants to be competitive in the world has no choice other than to operationalise a 24-hour economy,” – emphasising the timeliness and relevance of the John Mahama administration’s 24-hour economy proposal.
“It’s a good thing that has been brought. I am sure we will embrace it and make it work out,” he added.
However, dispelling fears that when the 24-hour economic policy – which has the potential to increase demand for labour – is implemented, employers may use contracts to exploit vulnerable workers, he classified those as rumours, saying: “I have heard that but it’s not true. If you must employ, you employ”.
