The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has pledged to partner with the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled (GSPD) to protect workers with disabilities, advocate for equal pay, and enforce inclusive hiring practices across both public and private sectors.
The commitment was made during a recent meeting between the leadership of the TUC and GSPD workers’ union representatives in Accra.
The partnership marks a strategic shift for the disability community, moving from external advocacy to direct, structured negotiation within Ghana’s primary labour union framework, addressing long-standing grievances of workplace discrimination.
The TUC’s new commitments come amid persistent reports from the disability community detailing systemic unfair treatment in workplaces.
As readers have recently shared with DisabilityNewsGH.com, these abuses include:
• Unfair Demotions: Qualified persons with disabilities (PWDs) being removed from leadership positions, such as Head of Department, and replaced by junior officers without disabilities, despite their superior qualifications, experience, and competence.
• Denial of Benefits: PWDs being denied access to staff quarters, bungalows, or other essential staff privileges.
• Hazardous Commutes: Forced to navigate dangerous routes to work, including crossing streams without footbridges, walking long distances, and traversing busy roads due to lack of accessible transportation.
• Withheld Allowances: The reported non-receipt of disability allowances and tax reliefs previously available to PWD workers.
Addressing these documented challenges, the TUC leadership outlined a four-point commitment aimed at systematically improving the working lives of PWDs in Ghana:
1. Anti-Discrimination and Protection: The TUC committed to actively countering discrimination against PWDs in both public and private workplaces, ensuring that labour rights are equitably applied.
2. Inclusive Employment Contracts: The union pledged to directly negotiate employment contracts that include specific clauses for PWDs, pushing for equal employment opportunities and equal pay for equal work.
3. Improved Working Conditions and Mobility: The TUC agreed to advocate for the provision of assistive devices and accessible working environments.
Additionally, the union accepted a proposal to explore a salary deduction scheme designed to help PWD workers purchase accessible personal vehicles – a measure directly addressing the lack of safe transportation.
4. Employer Training and Legal Aid: The TUC will facilitate training programmes to educate employers on workplace disability inclusion and provide direct legal representation to PWD workers when their labour rights are violated.
During the plenary session, the National President of the GSPD, Mr. Courage Wormenor, emphasised that PWDs in Ghana are fully prepared to contribute to the national economy if provided with barrier-free environments.
“This engagement is an eye-opener,” Mr. Wormenor stated. “Persons with disabilities are highly capable and ready to work if given the opportunity and the right tools.”
The proposed vehicle ownership programme, originally introduced by the GSPD’s Volta Regional Secretary, received significant attention during the session.
The plan suggests utilising structured payroll deductions to allow PWD workers to acquire modified, accessible vehicles, directly addressing the severe transportation barriers many face during their daily commutes.
Reflecting on the outcome of the meeting in a statement to GSPD members, Mr. Wormenor characterised the engagement as a fundamental shift in how the organisation represents its members’ interests.
“We are no longer begging from the outside; we are negotiating from the inside,” Mr. Wormenor said. “This administration is committed to sitting at the tables where decisions are made and bringing back measurable results. Dignity, employment, and fair treatment for PWDs are achievable goals, and we will continue to work until they are fully realised.”
SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
