Govt to deal with employment agencies that facilitate labour-related illegalities
The government says it will deal ruthlessly with private employment agencies that facilitate the employment of Ghanaians in foreign countries where they are abused.
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According to the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the conditions faced by some Ghanaian workers in certain countries “is an embarrassment to the country.’’
“Ghanaian migrants and workers are sometimes subjected to dehumanising treatment while attempting to earn a living and work abroad,’’ he said.
He was speaking at the launch of the Ghana Association of Private Employment Agencies (GHAPEA) in Accra last Wednesday.
The association, which is currently made up of 22 companies, was established to regularise the operations of employment agencies to ensure that they conform to best practices and uphold the laws governing the industry.
Abuse of workers
The Minister’s comment comes on the heels of many reported cases of abuse of Ghanaian workers, other African and Asian nationals in foreign countries, particularly, the Gulf countries.
In November last year, a video showing a young Ghanaian woman being subjected to severe sexual assault in one of the Gulf countries, went viral on the Internet.
The gruesome video showed two men raining insults on her while they took turns to sexually abuse her.
Ironically, the abuses do not only happen in foreign countries but in the country as well.
In April this year, there was public uproar following the publication of a picture of a Ghanaian man who was chained to a metal container by his Italian supervisor in Takoradi in the Western Region.
Measures
As part of the measures to deal with the situation, Mr Iddrisu said the government had directed the Department of Labour to publish the names of agencies that had been duly registered to operate and those operating without licence.
“The department must issue a warning to the public that any person dealing with those illegal private agencies does so at his own peril.”
He added, however, that the government will not hesitate to punish those illegal private entities.
Another measure, he said, was an initiative which would enjoin foreign embassies to seek clearance from the Department of Labour before issuing visas to people to go and work in their respective countries.
The move, Mr Iddrisu explained, was to combat child trafficking in the country and ensure that the rights of individuals were respected when they go to work in foreign countries.
“The measures are meant to regularise the number of recruitment agencies in the country,” he added.
Mr Iddrisu said it was unfortunate that some Ghanaians would use unscrupulous means to put their fellow countrymen in hardships.
“The Children’s Act, the Labour Law, Human Trafficking Act are being abused by some of these private employment agencies to make money from these unsuspecting members of the public, largely young girls and women,’’ he said.
Charge
Mr Iddrisu called on the security agencies to crack the whip and ensure that people who engaged in human trafficking and other labour-related illegalities were brought before the law.
He asked the leadership of the association to collaborate with the government, to bring sanity to the recruitment of Ghanaians who desired to work abroad.
In his address, the acting Chairman of GHAPEA, Alhaji Saeed Shareef, said the association would help to streamline what he described as “the chaotic nature of foreign recruitment and manpower supply in the country.’’
The association, he said, was committed to curbing the issue of human trafficking in the country.
“We, therefore, plead with the government to give us the necessary technical support to achieve our objectives,’’ he appealed.
For his part, the acting Chief Labour Officer, Mr Eugene Narh Korletey, advised media organisations to desist from promoting the work of illegal employment agencies.
“Cross-check from the Labour Department whether these agencies are duly licensed before doing adverts that promote their services,’’ he advised.
