The Labour Department has withdrawn the Collective Bargaining Certificate (CBC) issued to the Ports, Seamen, Maritime and Dockers Union (PSMDU) at the PSC Tema Shipyard.
According to the Chief Labour Officer, who is the registrar of trade unions, it has now emerged that the PSMDU did not properly follow laid down rules in acquiring the CBC.
The PSMDU local union at the Tema Shipyard said it broke ranks with the Maritime Dockworkers Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and was given the CBC by the Chief Labour Officer to the chagrin of MDU.
The brouhaha over who has the right to bargain for a category of workers at the Tema Shipyard reached a crescendo recently when the local PSMDU allegedly intimidated MDU members at the shipyard in an attempt to force them to join (PSMDU).
The Chief Labour Officer, in a report, said on November 28, the PSMDU’s CBC was withdrawn because the MDU already had the power to negotiate on behalf of the workers.
He said granting power to a rival union for the same category of workers was unlawful.
“Two CBCs covering the same class of workers should not operate at the same enterprise.”
The report, signed by Andrews Agbenyo-Obadiaba, Assistant Chief Labour Officer, further said that “the leadership of the PSMDU and other members who did not withdraw from the MDU should do so in accordance with the MDU constitution and inform the Labour Department accordingly.”
It also said that “after evidence of proper withdrawal from the MDU, PSMDU should reapply to the Labour Department for the issuance of CBC in accordance with Section 99 (1) of the Labour Act 2007, Act 651.
The department also directed that a letter that was withholding monthly dues of MDU members at the shipyard should be withdrawn with immediate effect and the Chief Labour Officer notified accordingly adding “the Labour Department will consider conducting verification exercise to determine the union in the majority.”
Last week, there was tension at the state-owned facility (PSC Tema Shipyard) when PSMDU members attempted to lock MDU junior staff members over the latter’s refusal to join them.
In the ensuing confusion, Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, Secretary General of the MDU-TUC, issued a strongly-worded statement condemning PSMDU over the alleged harassment of their members.
He disclosed that the MDU subsequently lodged a complaint with the Chief Labour Officer, saying “the MDU will use all legal means to promote trade union rights and the rights of our members to belong to the union of their choice and no amount of intimidation from the PSMDU would prevent our members from asserting their constitutional rights to belong to MDU.”
By William Yaw Owusu