By Iddi Yire
Accra, Feb. 14, GNA – The Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has launched the Employers’ Code of Practice and Action Plan for Eliminating Child Labour, Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in Ghana’s fisheries sector.
The Employers’ Code of Practice and Action Plan has been developed by the GEA in partnership with the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG) and its five constituent trade associations.
It is to ensure that employers take proactive responsibility for eradicating these harmful practices from the Fishing industry.
The Code reflects their unwavering commitment to uphold the highest standards of decency, fairness, and safety for every worker engaged in the fishing sector.
The Code of Practice and Action Plan provides a comprehensive framework that outlines the obligations of employers, workers, recruitment agencies, and all stakeholders within the fishing industry to eradicate child and forced labour, as well as human trafficking.
The Code serves as a practical tool to guide actors in the industry in adopting ethical labour practices, ensuring compliance.
Mr Alex Frimpong, the Chief Executive Officer of the GEA, in his address at the launch of the Code in Accra, said the launch of the Code marks a significant milestone in their continuous efforts to foster responsible and ethical labour practices in Ghana’s fishing sector.
He noted that the GEA believed that businesses thrive in an environment where fundamental human rights and international labour standards were upheld.
“The prevalence of child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking in any sector, particularly in fishing, not only undermines our national development efforts but also contradicts the values of responsible and sustainable business practices,” Mr Frimpong said.
“It is, therefore, incumbent upon us as employers to take decisive action to eradicate these forms of exploitation,” he said.
Mr Emmanuel Kwame Mensah, the ILO National Project Coordinator for the 8.7 Accelerator Lab Project, lauded GEA for launching the Code.
“As we launch this important document, we encouraged the measures for compliance will be continually enforced to enhance productivity and descent work in this important sector of Ghana’s economy,” he said.
Dr Joshua Ansah, the Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, said child and forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking were grievous violations of human rights that undermined the fabric of society.
He noted that these practices often stripped individuals of their dignity and perpetuated a cycle of poverty and exploitation.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every worker in Ghana’s fishing sector enjoys the fundamental rights of decent work and fair treatment,” he said.
Dr Eric Cobbinah, the Deputy Executive Director of the Fisheries Commission in-charge of General Services, who launched the Code, said stakeholders had the responsibility to make sure that it does not only become a document that was good in paper, but also something that was workable and practicalised.
He called for the collaborative efforts of all relevant stakeholders, especially those within the criminal and juvenile justice system, to make sure that individuals who violate the Code were brought to book in accordance with the laws of Ghana.
Nana Jojo Solomon, the President of NAFAG the Fisheries said the fisheries sector creates jobs and food security.
He said the launch of the Code would go a long way to promote responsible and ethical labour practices, thereby ensuring that the fisheries sector remains viable, competitive and internationally respected.
Madam Easter Ofori Agyemang, the Assistant Chief Labour Officer, Labour Department, said once stakeholders came together to ensure that they dealt with the problem of child labour modern slavery and human trafficking, it meant that they had a clear focus and a clear vision.
GNA