Employment
Labour Act 2003 with a unified National Labour Commission and a four-month probation norm
The Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) consolidated Ghanaian employment law. It requires written particulars within two months, restricts termination to fair grounds, and channels disputes through the National Labour Commission, whose settlement machinery must generally be exhausted before industrial action.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National Labour Commission for most disputes; High Court (Labour Division) for enforcement and judicial review of NLC decisions.
Governing law
- Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) — Written particulars in two months; unfair termination; NLC machinery.
- National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) — Three-tier contributory pension scheme.
In practice
Act 651 replaced a fragmented set of ordinances with a single statute covering contracts, hours, leave, unions, collective bargaining, occupational safety and dispute resolution. Employers must give written statements of particulars within two months of engagement. Termination is unfair if the reason is redundancy handled without consultation, union membership, pregnancy, disability or the exercise of statutory rights; remedies include reinstatement, re-engagement or compensation. Redundancy triggers a duty to inform the Chief Labour Officer and negotiate severance. The National Labour Commission is the pivotal institution: it mediates and arbitrates, and the Act requires exhaustion of its procedures before a lawful strike, with essential services subject to compulsory arbitration. The National Pensions Act 2008 created the three-tier scheme, with tier one at SSNIT and tiers two and three privately managed.