Business News of Friday, 20 August 2004

Source: GNA

Workers asked to work in partnership with management

Accra, 20 Aug. GNA - The Deputy General Secretary, in charge of Administration of the Industrial Commercial Union (ICU), Mr Solomon Kotei, on Friday called on workers to collaborate with management to ensure industrial peace to increase productivity.

He said it was only through collaboration between employers and employees that management could achieve targets.

Mr. Kotei made the call at the inauguration of the Professional Managerial Staff Union (PMSU) of the New Times Corporation, in Accra. He said unions must move beyond strike actions and destruction of property of employers as a way of seeking redress to partnerships in decision-making.

Mr. Kotei said this would ensure that management interact with workers to foster growth, development and increased productivity with legal backing from the new labour law.

Having been inaugurated, the New Times will now be formally recognised as a member of the ICU to negotiate any agreement between management and the union, he said.

Mr Kotei said the Union had the right to call for strike but said it would be the last resort after all other means of resolving issues had proved ineffective.

He urged the union executive to help interpret management decisions and actions to workers to prevent strike actions and to come out with new ideas to make positive impact on the Corporation.

The ICU Deputy General Secretary asked the Corporation to establish an open door mechanism to ensure transparency to win the confidence of workers.

The Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr Nanabanyin Pratt, expressed the hope that with the coporation becoming a member of the ICU relations between the management and the workers would improve. He said the management was prepared to continue to offer training to union leaders to enhance their understanding of management operations.

The union executives are; Mr Emmanuel Amponsah, Chairman, Mr Gyemfi Botwey, Vice Chairman, Mr Daniel Agbenu, Secretary and Mr. Theophillus Yattey, Assistant Secretary.

The rest are El-Freda Cleland, First Trustee, Mr Stephens Lartey, Second Trustee and Mr. Christian Tsatsu, Executive Member.