By: Ewoenam Kpodo | Voltaonlinegh.com |
Labour expert and acting Executive Director of Labour Policy International, Mr. Seth Abloso has charged media practitioners to stand their grounds and ensure their rights as workers are not abused, noting, it is high time the media advocated for its rights.
Mr. Abloso observed that over the years, journalists have risked their lives and taken up the fight for the rights of others in diverse areas writing about sufferings of others in society yet remained silent when it comes to issues affecting them.
According to him, many of these practitioners suffer abuses in terms of remuneration, recognition, job security, occupational hazards among others where they work for organisations without salary or letter of engagement, get into accident in their line of duty without compensation, and face unlawful termination of employment.
He said there had been many instances where the rights of journalists and other media workers had been abused and taken for granted by employers and noted that the media must stand up for their rights just as they do for people in other professions.
Mr Abloso said this during a media training workshop on labour laws and gender reporting organised by a not-for-profit, research and advocacy organisation, Gender Center for Empowering Development (GenCED) on January 15 in Accra.
The workshop took journalists drawn from various parts of the country through the constitutional provisions on labour issues including special arrangements for women and persons with disability, gender issues among others.
Mr. Abloso underscored the need for media practitioners to join or form themselves into groups to for one united voice to champion their cause.
Media practitioner, Ms Shamima Muslim who facilitated the training workshop spoke briefly on special provisions for women including maternity leave saying, it was in the state’s own interest to protect the jobs of women who take on another responsibility of producing the country’s labour force.
Ms Muslim said procreation is “a societal role women play and only they can do that” and the state needs to ensure they perform that role without any threat of losing their jobs.
Executive Director, GenCED, Ms Esther Tawiah tasked the media to be abreast of the Labour Act to empower them insist on their rights from their employers and to properly educate others to cause a change.
According to her, only knowledge of the law could help address these issues and prevent the wrongful exploitation of people in the industry.
Some participants at the workshop shared some bitter experiences they encountered at their workplaces. The training ended with participants forming into groups and brainstorming on the possible ways forward in addressing gender and labour issues at the workplaces.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
