The Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, has taken a swipe at the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, over his decision to petition the International Labour Organization (ILO).
According to Dr. Pelpuo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration illegally recruited over 12,000 workers into the public service.
Speaking exclusively to our Labour Affairs Correspondent Daniel Opoku in Accra on May 23, the Minister said government stands by its decision to terminate the appointments and is prepared to justify the dismissals at the ILO conference next week.
After failing to convince government to reverse its decision on the dismissal of some public sector workers, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has taken the matter a step further.
He has officially petitioned the International Labour Organization to intervene and put pressure on the government of Ghana to reinstate the affected workers.
In his petition, the MP also urged the ILO to seek answers from the Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, on the reasons behind the mass dismissals.
But Dr. Pelpuo has strongly rejected the petition describing it as unfair and illogical.
“It’s very unfair and very illogical. In the last Atta Mills administration, Atta Mills came and said he was father of all, even DCEs, MCEs he didn’t dismiss them, he kept them for six months. He didn’t sack anybody. When Nana Addo came to office everybody, including junior officers were dismissed. I don’t know why he couldn’t see that, why is he hiding that and he is talking about this now,” he asked.
Dr. Pelpuo insists the dismissals were lawful and necessary, and says he is ready to defend the government’s position at the upcoming ILO conference.
“In the last four days I was in Geneva. It was all about fair recruitment and if it is proven that the people they have recruited, the 12,000 recruited, why are they all NPP,” Dr Pelpuo quizzed.
The labour dispute continues to draw attention both locally and internationally with a final resolution now expected to play out on the global stage.
