Annual report on the Gold Coast / Colonial Office.

  • Colonial Office
Date:
[1951]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Gold Coast / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/130 page 12
    The major factor, however, in the relative stability of wages and salaries was that all classes of the community were waiting for the implementation, adaptation or rejection of the report of the Com¬ mission of Enquiry into the Structure and Remuneration of the Civil Service under the chairmanship of Sir David Lidbury. The Lidbury Commission finished its deliberations in April, 1951, and rendered its report in September. The implementation of the Commission’s recommendation affecting the salaries and wages of civil servants and Government employees would have far-reaching effects both on the levels of salaries and wages and on the structure of wages throughout the country. Final consideration of the report was, however, deferred by the Legislative Assembly, and the full effect of any changes in Government wages will not be known until the report has been approved. The trade union movement has made considerable progress. Many unions which were still in a state of disorganisation at the end of 1950 have greatly improved their organisations and are now regaining their membership. The reorganised Trade Union Congress became more effective and is now represented on a number of official boards and committees. At the end of the year 83 trade unions in all had been registered under the provisions of the Trade Unions Ordinance. After eleven cancellations and the amalgamation of six unions into two there remained 68 registered trade unions functioning on 31st Decemder, 1951, as compared with 62 at the end of the previous year. There were approximately 25,000 paid-up members of the various unions. There was not much industrial unrest during the year. Altogether there were 25 stoppages of work involving about 12,700 men. Eleven of these stoppages lasted for only one day or less ; the longest lasted for eight days. During the year two Committees were formed in connection with labour matters. The first was the Labour Advisory Committee of which the Minister of Health and Labour is Chairman. This Com¬ mittee consists of representatives of employers and workers as well as independent persons appointed by the Minister, and its functions are to advise the Minister on all matters of policy Which may be referred to it and to consider and advise him on existing or proposed Labour legislation. The second committee was the Central Employment Committee which was formed in connection with the special regis¬ tration of the unemployed which took place in August and September. The Minister of Health and Labour is chairman of the Committee and its members comprise representatives of employers and workers and of the principal Ministries of the Government. Its main functions are to survey existing vacancies and to make recommendations for the placing of unemployed persons.
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