Efforts To Ensure Compliance With New Minimum Wage

The Minister of Manpower Youth and Employment, Nana Akomea says efforts were being made to ensure that employers complied with the new minimum wage. He said the labour department was tasked to submit reports on the level of compliance with the new wage to the ministry. Nana Akomea was responding to concerns that many organizations and companies would not comply with the new minimum wage. The government on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 increased the minimum wage from GHc1.90 to GHc 2. 25 an increase of over 18 per cent. But a labour consultant, Mr. Austin Gamey has expressed fears that companies will not abide by the new minimum wage. That he said was because the labour inspectorate division was not well resourced to enforce compliance with the wage increase. He said employers were not even complying with the old minimum wage, adding that that was done in connivance with some of the employees, especially those who were not under a collective bargaining agreement. Nana Akomea said the inspectorate division of the labour department will be resourced to enforce compliance. He however noted that companies and small businesses which had genuine difficulties in complying with the new wage could apply to the ministry for some relief. He said such companies and businesses would be considered on a case by case basis.