NDC will pass Employment Act in next government - Sammy Gyamfi

The National Communication Officer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has declared that the goal of the new NDC government is to create shared prosperity for all and not a select few.

The new NDC government he noted will do this by creating enough sustainable jobs that pay well enough to avoid the problem of “working poor”, where workers’ wages are so low that they cannot meet the basic necessities of life and remain poor even though they are working.

”We are committed to the creation of sustainable jobs for the Ghanaian people because we are fully aware that the youth and people of this country deserve decent employment to be able to afford a decent living for themselves and their families. This is what informed the theme of the Peoples’ manifesto: “Jobs and Prosperity for All”.

He said the NDC will pass shall pass the first of its kind in our nation’s history, an Employment Act to provide a comprehensive framework for job creation and labour market statistics.

"Creating a Three-shift Economy: Given Ghana’s small market size of only 31 million people and a per capita income of $2,200, we intend to embark an aggressive promotion of exports, which will lead to a high demand for labour to meet increased production for both domestic consumption and export.

To accommodate this anticipated demand for Ghanaian goods and services, the next NDC Government will create a 3-shift economy, especially in manufacturing and other high-end services, which operates 24 hours non-stop. Thus, the additional two shifts will be a source of additional employment. Companies that currently operate 24 hours with only two shifts of 12 hours each in violation of the labour law (which specifies a maximum of 8 hours), will be required to run three shifts and thus create a third stream of jobs.

Decentralise and convert the Labour Office into the National Employment Bureau equipped with state of-the-art facilities and Grant tax-waivers to employers who employ workers through the Bureau,” he added.