News:
May 4, 2011
The Member of Parliament for Bimbila Dominic Nitiwul, has called for the prosecution of owners of business entities especially factories, that do not meet the internationally accepted safety standards.
According to him, the safety of workers in such establishments must be of paramount importance to employees and it is imperative that those who fall short of the required standards are punished to serve as a deterrent to other would- be offenders.
The MP’s comment follows four consecutive explosions that have occurred in the Western Steel Company at Tema in the last two months during which thirteen (13) employees received grievous degrees of injuries resulting in the death of one employee. The latest of such explosions occurred on Saturday 30th April in which an employee had burns all over his body.
The Ghana Federation of Labour has petitioned the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to close the company until the necessary safety measures are taken, a plea which the Ministry is yet to act on.
Contributing to a panel discussion on e.tv’s Breakfast TV show on Wednesday 4th May, the Member of Parliament for Bimbila, Dominic Nitiwul, urged the Factory Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Employment to be proactive and take swift action to curb the occurrence of such unfortunate incidents even if it means closing such companies down.
He bemoaned the situation where some employers because of cheap labour provide workers with sub-standard equipments to work with which invariably put their lives at great risk.
“I am sure if these victims of this explosion in that company were well equipped with the necessary safety gears the level of their injuries would have been minimized to a large extent’’ he said.
Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh