By Kodjo Adams
Accra, June 02, GNA – The Trade Union Congress(TUC) Ghana, has given a one month ultimatum to Sunon Asogli Power to reinstate the dismissed three union leaders of the company.
The Organised Labour has given the company until June 26, 2023, to do the needful or face their wrath, after all efforts aimed at engaging stakeholders to address the situation proved futile.
Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, the Secretary-General, Trades Union Congress at a media briefing in Accra said it was the right of every worker to join a union without intimidation or any form of abuse.
He expressed concerns about the entrenched position of the company, saying the Union would legitimately ensure that the dismissed workers were reinstated.
The Leadership of other Union leaders supported the position of the TUC Boss and offered their unflinching support to ensure that the right things were done in an appropriate manner.
The Mineworkers’ Union organized a press briefing on March 3, 2023, and highlighted the blatant violations of the fundamental rights of workers, acts of interference, unfair labour practices, and disrespect for regulatory institutions by the management of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, leading to the unfair termination of three local union leaders, and demanded their reinstatement.
The Union stated that stakeholder meetings and interventions by state actors, including, the Ministries for Energy, Employment and Labour Relations, Foreign Affairs, the National Labour Commission, the Labour Department, and Togbe Afede IV, on the issue could not yield any positive outcome.
The leadership of the TUC Ghana on March 27, 2023, in solidarity with unionized workers of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, whose rights were being abused by management of the company, demanded the reinstatement of the three dismissed local union leaders, but their demands were ignored.
It said several calls to the management of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana to refrain from any acts of intimidation, fear, and panic being unleashed on its members in the company had not yielded any fruitful response.
The Union was convinced that, the termination of the appointments of the three local union leaders, namely the Chairperson, Secretary and Assistant Secretary was unfair and an injustice.
It could be recalled that, 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 ruled and directed 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