Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has formally petitioned the International Labour Organisation (ILO), raising concerns over what he describes as politically driven dismissals of public servants perceived to be affiliated with the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
In the petition, obtained by JoyNews, Assafuah directly accuses the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, of violating both Ghanaian labour laws and international labour standards.
“The situation is rendered even more troubling by the recent appointment of Dr. Rashid Pelpuo as Co-Chair of the Global ILO Summit on Fair Recruitment,” the document states. “His international role stands in stark contrast to the domestic realities facing many Ghanaian public servants today.”
According to the petition, the violations include:
The targeted dismissal of civil and public servants, as well as contract staff, believed to be aligned with the NPP;
A lack of due process, including the absence of hearings or formal reviews before terminations;
The replacement of affected personnel with partisan loyalists, without following transparent or merit-based recruitment processes;
Breaches of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) and Civil Service regulations, which mandate political neutrality within the public service.
Assafuah is urging the ILO to take decisive action, calling on the organization to:
Launch an independent inquiry into the wave of dismissals;
Issue a public statement addressing the issue and calling for an end to politically motivated terminations;
Engage with Ghanaian authorities under the framework of ILO Convention 111 and relevant international principles;
Offer technical assistance to help re-establish a politically neutral, merit-based public service recruitment system.
“I believe in Ghana’s democratic values and international obligations,” Assafuah stated. “I am committed to safeguarding the rights of all Ghanaian workers. I appeal to the ILO to act swiftly to address these injustices and uphold fair recruitment practices in Ghana.”
