Don’t compromise work through partisan activities - Local government workers urged
The immediate past General Secretary of the Local Government Service Workers Union (LGSWU), Godfred Nyarko Okyere, has charged members of the service not to engage in partisan politics in the discharge of their duties.
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That, he explained, was because their role in the local government structure required them to exhibit neutrality in discharging their duties.
Being neutral, he explained, "did not mean not voting in the elections, but being careful not to be involved in partisan activities,” as they go about their work.
Conference
Speaking at the 12th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the LGSWU at Winneba in the Central Region, Mr Okyere urged them to always exhibit professionalism in whatever they did.
That, he said, was especially because the country goes into another national election on December 7 this year.
Mr Okyere, in his address to the delegates, explained that neutrality and professionalism helped to deepen trust from the general public.
The theme for the conference was “Transforming Local Governance: The Role of Workers in Driving Sustainable Development.”
New officers
New national officers were elected to spearhead the affairs of the LGSWU for the next four years.
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They are National Chairman, Moses A. Awarikaro; First Vice-Chairman, Bismark Von-Golloh; Second Vice-Chairperson, Madam Virceta Owusu Ayim; General Secretary, Christopher Abokah; Deputy General Secretary, Kitson Yakubu; First Trustee, Bashar Mohammed, and Second Trustee, Abdil Moro Mumuni Wandaogou.
Touching on the theme for the Conference, Mr Okyere noted that transformation was critical for the union to develop new processes and ways of working to better meet the aspirations of the local populace.
“To achieve this purpose of local government transformation, the role of workers in driving sustainable development cannot be underestimated. Workers need to be properly motivated through job security, with better working conditions of service, where they will be empowered to generally work towards achieving the set goals of the transformational agenda,” he said.
Mr Awarikaro also expressed concern about increasing unauthorised deductions from members’ salaries and the frustration the national leadership was going through to stop such deductions and to get refunds for affected members.
Labour groups
He said the actions and inactions of some labour groups were undermining the membership drive of the union and that needed to be checked to preserve industrial harmony.
He encouraged LGSWU members to stand united with the leadership and to be steadfast against all odds, so that together, as he puts it: “we can adopt proactive ways and innovations to work for improved conditions of service to enhance our services at the local government level.”
At the event, the youth and women committees of the LGSWU held their first quadrennial national delegates conferences and elected their executives.
The LGSWU National Youth Executives are Rabiatu Adam Bugri, Chairperson; Eugene Adu, First Vice Chairman; Dorcas Dogbeda Sallah, Second Vice-Chairperson; Rebecca Annan, Secretary; Yussif Abubari Sadic, Assistant Secretary, and Alabani Muniru, Organiser.
Members of the LGSWU National Women Executives are Gertrude Apelegiba Abebleh, Chairperson; Clare Kuntadaa, Vice-Chairperson; Ophelia Nkansah, Secretary, and Jemima Boateng, Organiser.