The National Labour Commission (NLC), has advised labour unions at work places to be tactful when handling workers’ issues to avoid aggravating the work environment problems.

Mr Vincent Ofosu Asamoah, Executive Secretary of the NLC, speaking at the third delegates congress of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) in Tema, stressed that “you don’t have to apply force, you have to apply a lot of tact, else the very workers whom you are seeking to protect, might end up losing their jobs”.

Mr Asamoah added that in trying to advocate for what workers believed was their right, if they did not do so within the requirements of law, they might end up infringing the very law under which they were seeking those rights.

“I want to recap that the days of union militancy are over and it is now replaced with social partnership where agreements and even disagreements must be reached through dialogue, not threats and intimidations”.

He reminded unionists to bear in mind that, there already existed a worker-management relationship before the entering of unions, therefore their involvement must be aimed at improving the existing relationship instead of worsening or destroying it.

This, he said could be achieved through mutual respect for the rights and responsibilities of employers as he likened trade union to a marketer who had a product to market.

He advised that instead of labour unions being aggressive, they must cultivate the habit of getting employers to appreciate the importance of such a partnership through nurturing the relationship.

Mr Asamoah stated that it was vital in today’s practice of labour-management relations, for the parties to engage in effective collective bargaining premised on good faith in all matters relating to employment and non-employment issues.