ICU's accusation against TUC not justified

Kumasi, July 6, GNA - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has stated that the accusations levelled against the leadership of the Congress by the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) was only a deliberate attempt to taint the reputation of the TUC leadership. Mr Kofi Asamoah, Deputy Secretary-General of the TUC in-charge of Operations, who made the statement said, this is because most of the allegations could not be justified and were misrepresentation of the TUC's actions.

Mr Asamoah was addressing the opening session of a two-day meeting of the Ashanti Regional Council of Labour in Kumasi on Tuesday. The meeting served as a platform for taking stock of organised labour in the region, discussing challenges now facing unions and preparing for the national congress of the TUC to be held in Kumasi in August.

On the accusation that the TUC proposed amendments to its constitution with the intention of disintegrating the ICU and facilitating affiliation of the Union of Industries, Commerce and Financial Workers (UNICOF), he said it was false and misleading. Mr Asamoah stressed, "The TUC rather put forward proposals for constitutional amendments in response to challenges posed to trade unions' unity by the new Labour Act 651".

"The move was to address these challenges and more importantly, pave way for strengthening the relations between the TUC and its affiliates and not clandestinely, seeking means of disintegrating the ICU, nor facilitating affiliation with UNICOF", he explained. Mr Asamoah said the TUC had no problem with the members of the ICU but rather its leadership and therefore appealed to the members to be wary of their leaders in order not to be misled.

Miss Georgina Opoku Amankwah, chairperson of the Ashanti Regional Council of Labour, said the decision by the Executive Board of the TUC to recommend affiliation to UNICOF was a step in the right direction. She said with the birth of the new labour law, there were going to be a multiplicity of unions and it is high time the TUC found means of increasing its membership.