The Minister of Labour, Employment and Jobs, Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has called on trade unions to move beyond their traditional focus on wages, allowances and conditions of service and embrace a more progressive approach that prioritises institutional development and quality service delivery.

According to him, modern trade unionism must position workers’ organisations as responsible partners in improving productivity, among others.

He made the call at the 2nd Quadrennial Delegates’ Congress of the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana (SSAJUG) in Sunyani, on the theme, “Trade Unionism in the Service: Partnering Management for Quality Justice Administration.”

Mr Pelpuo said the theme was particularly relevant to Ghana’s democracy, industrial relations and justice delivery.

“The theme challenges us to move beyond our traditional understanding of trade unionism as being primarily about wages, allowances and conditions of service,” he said.

He argued that unions should no longer be viewed primarily as defenders of workers against management, but as “a partner in institutional development, productivity, ethical conduct, innovation, accountability and quality service delivery.”

The Minister, however, also urged management to change its perception of trade unions, stressing that workers’ organisations should not be regarded as obstacles to efficiency.

“Progressive management must not regard the trade union as an obstacle to efficiency. Rather, it must view the trade union as an important institutional partner, source of knowledge, early warning mechanism and stakeholder in organisational transformation,” he said.

He emphasised that the rights of workers must be exercised alongside responsibilities, particularly within the Judicial Service, whose work has direct implications for public confidence in justice.

He cited concerns over delays and alleged unethical conduct within the justice system, where he recounted a case brought to his attention in which a litigant was reportedly informed that documents relating to his case had been misplaced.

“The judicial service is not an ordinary public institution,” he said. “It is one of the pillars upon which our constitutional democracy rests.”

He therefore challenged SSAJUG members to advocate not only for better working conditions but also for excellence, professionalism, and integrity.

The Minister further urged unions to exercise restraint when negotiations over their demands do not yield immediate results, warning that industrial action could compound challenges facing institutions and the general economy of the country.

He therefore called for greater collaboration between workers, management and government, insisting that quality justice administration depends heavily on the competence, conduct and commitment of the people who operate the justice system.

“Justice is not just about the law; it is also about the process, and it is also about the person who delivers the process,” Mr Pelpuo said.

Meanwhile, SSAJUG President, Maureen Suttah Marilyn, has stressed that “no workforce can deliver excellent results when it appears that there is a perpetual uncertainty about ever attaining decent working conditions.”

She recounted a worrying trend in which a significant number of staff, including competent senior officers, had left the service over the past three years to seek greener pastures abroad.

“My Lord, while we remain grateful, especially for the coming into force of CI 141 during your tenure of office, may I respectfully use this opportunity to humbly plead with you to ensure the implementation of the CI and the conclusion of salary negotiations for 2027 before you leave office,” she appealed.

She said fulfilling the request would be something for which members of the service would remain eternally grateful to the Chief Justice.

She also appealed for the refurbishment of courthouses to provide staff of the service with a more conducive working environment, adding that “some of the courts are in quite an unsatisfactory state.”