By Kodjo Adams
Accra, April 05, GNA – The Trade Union Congress, Ghana, says it is reviewing internal mechanisms to serve notices under the Public Order Act to reinstate dismissed workers of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited.
Mr Joshua Ansah, the Deputy Secretary General of the TUC, said the internal mechanisms were necessitated after a press conference by the Union on March 27, challenging the abuse of workers’ rights by the management of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited.
“We gave management an ultimatum of seven days, which ended on Monday, April 3, to reinstate the three dismissed junior executives who are employees of the company and also to stop all the abusive activities against the employees,” he said.
He said, “We are serving notices to the management of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, for them to actually listen and ensure that the three dismissed employees are reinstated to avert possible industrial actions from the whole workers of the country against the company.”
Mr Ansah expressed worry at the inability of the management of the company to heed their ultimatum by reinstating the dismissed workers, saying “management has not respected our period of precaution.”
“We have copied our concerns to the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, I think he assured us that he will personally take a keen interest in the matter and ensure that the issue is resolved amicably,” he said.
He said the TUC would not sit down and fold their arms for the management of the company to abuse the fundamental human rights of workers.
“The only crime for these three dismissed workers is that they have formed a union and they have been elected union leaders, which is unheard of,” he said.
“We are sending a warning to all employers in the country, especially Sunon Asogli Power Limited, that they better listen to our demand and reinstate the three dismissed workers or face the blunt of workers.”
He said, “This fight is not going to end today, we are going to fight until our demand is met and our workers are reinstated.”
“It’s our right, and we think that workers’ rights cannot be trampled upon by employers,” he said.
Over 68 workers of the company took the decision to join the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union in February 2021.
The Union and the workers went through the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate that empowered the Union to represent and negotiate with the company on behalf of the workers.
The situation led to misunderstanding and ended at the National Labour Commission, and the Commission on two occasions directed and ruled that the names of the workers did not arise at this stage and that the certificate was properly and legally acquired, so the company should comply and enter negotiations with the Union.
GNA