Trade unions must move beyond workers’ demands, embrace institutional partnerships for justice delivery – Labour Minister

Ghana's Labour Minister, Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has urged trade unions to shift their focus from merely securing wages, allowances and conditions of service to embracing a more comprehensive approach that prioritises institutional development and quality service delivery. Speaking at the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates’ Congress of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana (SSAJUG) in Sunyani, Pelpuo emphasized that modern trade unionism should position workers' organisations as responsible partners in enhancing productivity and overall justice administration.

He stressed that unions must move beyond their traditional role as mere defenders of workers against management, and instead become partners in institutional development, ethical conduct, innovation, accountability, and quality service delivery.

Pelpuo also called on management to reevaluate their perception of trade unions, urging them to view these organisations not as obstacles to efficiency but as valuable partners, sources of knowledge, early warning mechanisms, and stakeholders in organisational transformation. He underscored that workers' rights must be exercised alongside responsibilities, particularly within the Judicial Service, which plays a critical role in maintaining public confidence in the justice system.

Highlighting the urgent need for reform, he cited the challenges faced by the justice system, including delays and alleged unethical conduct, citing a specific case where a litigant was reportedly informed that documents related to his case had been misplaced. The Minister urged SSAJUG members to advocate for excellence, professionalism, and integrity, while also calling for restraint during negotiations, warning that industrial action could compound existing challenges and negatively impact the broader economy.

Meanwhile, SSAJUG President Maureen Suttah Marilyn stressed that workers' organisations cannot deliver excellent results when there is a constant uncertainty about achieving decent working conditions. She lamented the departure of many competent senior officers to seek better opportunities abroad and appealed for the implementation of the Code of Conduct (CI) 141 during the current Chief Justice's tenure and for the completion of salary negotiations for 2027 before the end of his term.

Marilyn also appealed for the refurbishment of courthouses to provide a more conducive working environment for judicial staff, emphasizing the need for a conducive atmosphere in which to perform their duties.