Help resolve Volta Star’s challenges - ICU urges govt
The Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana), Mr Morgan Ayawine, has called on the government to take concrete steps to resolve the challenges affecting the business operations of the Volta Star Textile Company (VSTL) at Juapong in the Volta Region.
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He, therefore, called on the government to accord priority to distressed indigenous industries to provide them with a stimulus package under the one-district one-factory policy to save them from further deterioration and to enable them to survive the forces of uneven and unfair trade competition foisted on them as a result of trade liberalisation.
Delayed negotiations for wage opener
He also called for an end to prolonged negotiation for wage opener for workers of some companies since that could become a channel for unwarranted agitation against their managements.
Mr Ayawine made the call at the inauguration of the local union of ICU for the VSTL at Juapong last weekend.
“With the new change in government and the promised economic direction, especially with regard to re-industrialisation of the economy, there is a welcome assurance of a systematic resuscitation of industries in Ghana, including the textiles industry,” he said.
New labour relationship
He assured workers that the primitive era of master-servant relationship at the workplace which was inimical to productivity was gone forever and given way to an era of equal and harmonious partnership and asked workers to give their best dutifully and faithfully without any tendency of coercion from any quarters.
Mr Ayawine charged the new executive to ensure that industrial peace and harmony prevailed at all times to ensure increased productivity and profitability of the employer’s business for mutual good.
The chairman of the local union of ICU, Mr Bright Sikanku, expressed concern about the pending chronic wage opener in the factory and said no wage opener had travelled for so long a time in the history of the factory.
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Wage opener long overdue
“Ladies and gentlemen, workers and their dependants are suffering. The wage opener is long overdue, that which belongs to a person by law should be given to him. VSTL management, do everything humanly possible to end negotiations now,” he said.
Mr Sikanku also called on management to lift the ban on the promotion of staff of the company in order to motivate hardworking workers for excellence.
The Head of manufacturing of the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MOTI), Mr Alex Mensah, reaffirmed that the factory was at the heart of the government’s economic agenda because it was a big source of employment for the youth across the three regions.
He reminded the local union executive that they were the agents of change and their conduct affected the development of the factory and stressed that they should desist from negative ones which could impede productivity.
Mr Mensah asked them to galvanise support for management to enable it access available interventions for re-energising the factory.
The acting managing director of VSTL, Mr Jerome Dunyo, said the inauguration of the union after every four years was a unique opportunity to rebuild broken walls and mend torn relationships and also to reflect on the past and reorganise for the future.