By Agnes Ansah
Accra, Mar. 9, GNA – Mr. Bernard Owusu, Chairman of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has urged women in the labour movement to avoid politicising union affairs.
The call was aimed at encouraging women to focus on promoting workers’ rights, advancing social justice and influencing national policies.
Mr. Owusu made the call at a three-day leadership workshop organised by the TUC for women drawn from six affiliated unions.
The participating unions were the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Public Utility Workers’ Union (PUWU), General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers’ Union (GTPCWU), Union of Informal Workers’ Association (UNIWA), Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers’ (UNICOF) and the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU).
Mr. Owusu expressed concern about growing politicisation within the labour movement.
“There is too much politics in the union which is not good. Stick to the ideals of the trade union,” he said.
Mr. Owusu described women as capable leaders and encouraged them to develop their leadership skills to enable them to assume higher responsibilities within the TUC.
“There are a lot of opportunities in the trade union. Look for mentorship and other opportunities to develop yourself,” he said.
Mr. Joseph Hotor, General Secretary of the CWU, commended the TUC for organising the workshop and urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired.
“You have been taught so much, and it is for us to go out there and ensure that you practise it.
“Mostly we come to such meetings and after that we go back and that ends it. So, women, I am using this opportunity to tell you to go out there and practise it, you will succeed,” he stated.
 Madam Harriet Botchway, Head of the Gender and Child Protection Department of the TUC, expressed optimism about women attaining leadership positions within the labour movement if they applied the lessons learnt from the workshop.
“Women are great. For the past almost three days, you’ve participated very effectively. I’ve never seen anybody dozing off or saying I am tired. You put your all in because you said this training is very important. So, make the most out of it as you go out there,” she said.
 Madam Botchway encouraged the TUC to sustain the initiative to strengthen women’s leadership capacity.
“We’ve trained you, built your capacity. Our hope is that you sustain this programme and we see women in higher decision-making positions,” she said.