Mass industrial action looms as TUC gives Sunon Asogli 1-wk ultimatum

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) is giving the management of Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited up to Monday, April 3 to reinstate some three union leaders who were said to have been sacked for joining a union.

Failure to take this action, according to the mother worker union, will see them “advise themselves”.

“We are serving notice and notice is hereby served that if by April 3, 2023, the three local union leaders who have been dismissed are not reinstated and the various acts of intimidation and victimization by Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Ltd have not ceased, the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) and all its affiliate unions shall have no other option but to advise themselves,” Secretary General of TUC Dr Anthony Yaw Baah said at a press conference on Monday.

Clad in red, Dr Baah, who was joined by some union leaders of Sunon Asogli, further cautioned management of the company to “refrain from any further acts of intimidation, fear and panic being unleashed on our members in the company and stop the abuse of the rights of their employees to belong to a union of their choice”.

The employment of the three workers was terminated at a time some were not even at work, 3news.com gathers.

According to  reports, other unionised workers under the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union (GMWU) are being subjected to abuses by management of the power-producing company.

The attention of major stakeholders including the National Labour Commission (NLC) has been drawn to the issue but to no avail.

But TUC said all its affiliates will take an action in solidarity with the workers if no word is heard from major stakeholders by Monday, April 3.

“Comrades, we cannot stand by for these violations and abuse of workers’ rights to go on, after 66 years of independence from colonial rule.

“These workers have not committed any crime and have not broken any Company rule. They are simply being abused by their Chinese bosses and Ghanaian collaborators.”

Dr Yaw Baah later stressed that “no worker whether in the formal or the informal economy of Ghana will be allowed to suffer any form of injustice for choosing to join or form a trade union”.

“Even the President of Ghana cannot stop any worker in Ghana from exercising his or her right to belong to a trade union.”

Source: 3news.com