Dr. Yaw Baah (right) with other executives of the TUC
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is demanding the reinstatement of three local union leaders of the Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited whose appointments have been wrongfully terminated.
The TUC also cautioned the management of Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Ltd to refrain from any further acts of intimidation, fear and panic, being unleashed on its members in the company and stop the abuse of the rights their employees to belong to a union of their choice.
“We are serving notice and notice is hereby served that if by April 3, 2023, the three local union leaders who have been dismissed are not reinstated and the various acts of intimidation and victimization by Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Ltd have not ceased, the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) and all its affiliate unions shall have no other option but to advise themselves,” the Union said.
TUC Secretary General, Dr. Yaw Baah, addressing the press in Accra Yesterday narrated the ordeal of some workers of the company are facing because they joined a union.
He said nearly 70 workers of Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Ltd took the decision to join the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) in February, 2021. GMWU and the workers at Sunon Asogli went through all the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate which was duly issued by the Chief Labour Officer. The Collective Bargaining certificate empowers the GMWU to represent and negotiate with the Company on behalf of the unionized workers.
He said the Company through its lawyers Fugah and Company demanded to know the names of the workers as a condition for the recognition of the Collective Bargaining Certificate issued by the Labour Department.
“The issue 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,” he said.
He said the Union on the bases of the Commission’s Ruling and in accordance with the Labour Act, wrote in January 2023 to the Company inviting it to enter negotiations with it and also in February 2023 the Union wrote to the Company with the list of unionized workers requesting for the deduction of monthly subscriptions and payment of same to the Union.
He said the company did not comply with the request of the Union citing concerns over the Bargaining Certificate.
“The Company failed to appear before the Commission… Meanwhile, the Union had gotten evidence of query letters being issued to its members who were all off duty and had attended a short meeting at the instance of the Union on Friday February 13, 2023 after work (5:30pm) in a public space close to the Company’s gate to fraternize and also inform them of an impending election of their leaders at the enterprise level,” he said.
He said the Commission rescheduled the hearing to March 8, 2023 but directed both parties to “stay all ongoing and/or any intended action(s)”.
This notwithstanding, he said the Company without regard to the authority of the National Labour Commission, on March 2, 2023, a day after the Commission’s directive terminated the employment of the Branch Union Secretary, Assistant Secretary and the Chairperson.
Dr. Baah said the Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Ltd is categorized under essential service providers in the Labour Act and therefore call on the National Labour Commission, the Honorable Minister for Employment & Labour Relations, the Honorable Minister for Energy, the Honorable Minister for National Security and the Honorable Minister for Finance to take keen interest in this matter because, “if our demands are not met, we are going to act decisively in accordance with TUC’s fundamental principle that ‘Injustice To A Worker Any Where In Ghana Is Injustice To All Ghanaian Workers Everywhere’ and the collective actions we will take can have serious consequences for the effective functioning of the entire economy of Ghana.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri