Cape Coast, June 25, GNA - Mr Pius Quainoo General Secretary of Construction and Building Materials Workers' Union (CBMWU) of GTUC on Tuesday expressed concern about the award of major contracts in the country to foreign contractors at the expense of local contractors. He said the building and construction industry continued to attract many multi-national companies that had dominated the industry, leaving local contractors "with little space to operate".

Mr Quainoo expressed the concern at the Eighth Regular Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Union in Cape Coast.

It was on the theme "Guaranteeing social and economic rights for all construction workers in Ghana".

He regretted that some of these foreign contractors compete with local contractors for the construction of school buildings and culverts. Mr Quainoo appealed to Government to enter into performance contracts with the managements of State Housing Company and Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) to fully utilize their expertise in the interest of the nation.

He called for adequate protection of the rights of the members and to improve their conditions of service.

Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, said with the discovery of oil in the country, the construction industry would be in demand and urged the members to upgrade their skills and knowledge in the industry to prepare them adequately to meet the challenges. He asked them to uphold the integrity of the industry and expressed concern about dishonest practices and shoddy constructional work that had led to deaths resulting from collapsed buildings in some parts of the country,.

Alhaji Boniface noted that preference for imported building materials over proven alternative local materials, and the inadequate utilization of the vast local raw material resources were some of the challenges facing the sector.

He gave the assurance that Government had evolved strategies to provide the necessary support and incentives for the production of local building materials to promote appropriate technology and ensure collaboration between research and industry.

Mr Samuel Obodai, Deputy Central Regional Minister, said Government would continue to provide a level playing field for all stakeholders in the sector and urged contractors to improve on the execution of contracts awarded to them to sustain public confidence. He said the world was becoming highly competitive and urged contractors to prove themselves trustworthy to win contracts. Mr Kofi Asamoah, Acting Secretary-General of Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), said workers wages required a review with the rising inflation in the country. He called on members of the union to work hard to overcome the prevailing stiff global competition.

25 June 08