Tema Workers Swerve MCE

WORKERS IN the industrial city of Tema proved that they cannot be 'bottled up' all the time. They betrayed their leaders who they forced into taking an unplanned decision.

Also caught in the web of confusion was the mayor of Tema, Mr. Evans Ashong Narh, who openly showed his disappointment at the TDCL's inability to stop the demonstration yesterday.

These came out when the municipal chief executive of Tema met the TDCL leaders, BNI operatives, police commanders and the press at his office where he received a copy of a resolution passed by the workers of Tema.

According to Mr. Narh, there was an agreement that the workers would assemble at the forecourt of the TMA and present him with a resolution which he would in turn forward to the Greater Accra Regional Minister for onward presentation to the sector minister. His claim was, however, debunked by the TDCL leaders, who said they did not arrive at any clearcut decision about calling off the demonstration.

According to them, what transpired was that they were going back to the workers, who are on the ground, to make an appeal to them but they were unsuccessful, as Tuesday happened to be a holiday.

At about 0.900hrs about 700 workers out of the 2000 expected to embark on the trip to Accra, assembled at the TMA forecourt. Council Chairman Wilson Agana, addressing the workers, told them that rumour about the cancellation of the demonstration was rife and so he wanted to find out their opinion.

According to him, this was greeted with jeers, but he asked them to embark on a peaceful demonstration through the streets of Tema, led by the police.

He said only two buses load of workers would be making the trip to Accra.

However, when they arrived at the TMA forecourt, Agana and his lieutenants went to the office of the MCE and that was where the whole deal unfolded.

As tension was mounting and the meeting was delaying, there came a flah report - the workers mounted about 10 buses and headed towards Accra via the motorway.

The TDCL officials jumped into their private cars, chased the 'rebelling workers' on the motor way and finally assembled them at the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout.

From the TUC Hall, the police guided them to the ministry where a resolution was presented to Mrs. Cecilia Bannerman, the sector minister.

In an interview, she told the press that though the Tripartite Committee was at work, "the impatience of the workers was not surprising."

Meanwhile according to a GNA report, the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) yesterday, Wednesday, expressed dismay at the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment's "appalling and lackadaisical dealings" with sensitive labour issues in the country.

In a resolution, the workers noted the ministry is one of the complex and sensitive ministries in the country, since it has to deal with multiple and delicate issues involving government, employers and labour.

The resolution signed by Mr. Wilson Agana, chairman and Mr. Mohammed Baba Tairo, Secretary, called for a proactive approach on the part of the ministry to be able to address sensitive and delicate matters as and when they are brought to its attention.

"It is important to point out that, it is only your ministry, which does not acknowledge receipts of the council's letters or invite its executives for discussions when pertinent issues are raised."

The resolution said many issues had been raised with other sector ministries and there had been prompt responses from them, which led to discussions and solutions.

This situation augurs well for a peaceful industrial harmony necessary for a country, which is desirous of achieving a golden age of business and development in diversity, it noted.

The TDCL referred particularly to the inter union conflict at GTMC and the victimisation of workers, saying the style of the ministry's approach to it had the tendency to create havoc in the industrial sector.

"If GTMC management and its accomplices do not see the need to abide by the president's special task force and principles and guidelines on how ICU and TEGLUE could jointly relate with management, then there should be something seriously wrong somewhere and must be checked by your ministry with speed and dispatch to avoid the application of other alternatives to achieve instant results."

The union said it was giving the ministry "the last chance" to cause the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of its colleagues whose appointments had been terminated at the GTMC.

"The council may act swiftly and decisively on the matter without notice to your outfit, should you again take us for granted," the resolution warned.

The workers embarked on a three-hour demonstration through the principal streets of Tema to demand the immediate announcement of a new minimum wage.

All efforts made by officials in government and employers to stop the workers from going on the demonstration did not materialise.