PSMDU verification process ‘bias’ and ‘incoherent’ – Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union

The Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) has described verification exercise by Ports Seamen Maritime and Dockers’ Union (PSMDU) on January 19, as “undemocratic” and “bias”, hence their decision to abstain from the process.

The verification exercise which sought to ascertain the union with the largest membership, according to MDU, was organised without prior consultation to solicit their views, concerns, considerations and dates for the verification process.

The MDU in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranten, said: “We have reason to believe that the PSMDU had prior knowledge on dates set for the verification exercise by the Chief Labour Officer, which seemed convenient to PSMDU/NUSPAW.

“This reinforces our perception of a flawed democratic process that is tilted in favour of the opposing party. [This is why] The MDU resorted to court action to protect our members and to seek opportunity to address what we deemed as unfair processes for the verification exercise in addition to seeking accountability from the local union leaders of PSMDU/NUSPAW,” a portion of the release read.

The raging confusion comes after constant cases of assaults by PSMDU on MDU members as well as accountability matters from the local union leaders of PSMDU/NUSPAW.

The Ports, Seamen, Maritime and Dockers Union (PSMDU) is a breakaway union from the Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU).

Read full statement below:

MARITIME AND DOCKWORKERS’ UNION BOYCOTTS VERIFICATION EXERCISE AT PSC TEMA SHIPYARD

The Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) decided not to participate in the verification exercise organised by the Chief Labour Officer on the 19th of January, 2018.

Historically, the junior staff of PSC Tema Shipyard had been members of the MDU for many years and a new local union executive of MDU for the junior staff at PSC Tema Shipyard were elected and inducted into office by the National Secretariat of MDU on 15th October 2015.

After being in office as executives of the MDU Junior staff local union executives of PSC Tema Shipyard for a short period, the junior staff local union executives decided to join a new union, which was an offshoot of the MDU. The new union started as Ports Maritime and Dockers’

Union (PMDU) and later went through some drastic metamorphosis into Ports Seamen

Maritime and Dockers’ Union (PSMDU) and now National Union of Seamen Ports and Allied Workers (NUSPAW).

When the executives of the MDU Junior Staff local Union at PSC Tema Shipyard resigned from the MDU to join the PSMDU , they continued to manage the MDU local union account and used the funds of MDU to support the activities of the rival union and to advance their personal interest. As part of a survival strategy, the PSMDU/NUSPAW with the support of the new management of PSC Tema Shipyard resorted to intimidation, threats and attacks on the members of the MDU.

For example, Brother Farouk Abdul Razak and Brother Abubakar Salifu who are members of MDU declared their right to be members of MDU in a meeting in the office of the Chief Labour Officer on 17th November 2016. The members of PSMDU forcibly hauled Brother Farouk Abdul Razak and Brother Abubakar Salifu out of the company on 18th November 2016 for claiming their right to belong to MDU and the management of the company did not take disciplinary action against the members of PSMDU who undertook this act.

Similarly, Brother Patrick Attikey, the current acting Chairman of MDU for the junior staff local union was attacked by members of PSMDU/NUSPAW for no justifiable reason when the verification exercise that was to be held on 13th of September 2017 was suspended due to a court injunction by the MDU . Surprisingly, Brother Patrick Attikey is being investigated by the management of the company for confirming that PSMDU/NUSPAW members physically attacked him when a Radio station called him to confirm the attack on him.

These and other methods of overt and covert intimidating tactics perpetrated by the members of PSMDU against MDU members with the tacit support of the management of the company were carried out to promote PSMDU/NUSPAW in PSC Tema Shipyard.

Though our union possesses the Collective Bargaining Certificate (CBC) which gives us the legal mandate to negotiate on behalf of the workers, the management of PSC Tema Shipyard refused to negotiate with the MDU but recognised the PMSDU/NUSPAW. The management of the company initially denied MDU , the right to organise general meetings with its members with the reason that it was not safe for the MDU to hold general meetings in the company. Though the management of the company later granted the MDU the opportunity to organise a general meeting in the company, we experienced some intimidating tactics meant to frustrate workers from participating in the general meeting and we made a complaint to management about our experience.

We had complained to the Chief Labour Officer that the local union leaders of PSMDU in PSC Tema Shipyard, had blatantly mismanaged and misapplied monies belonging to our union and presented a questionable audited account to our union when they had not presented the detailed account with the expenditure and supporting documents to our union. It does not lie within the right of PSMDU to audit the account belonging to MDU and they adopted that approach to hide the mismanagement of the MDU account.

Our union was disappointed that, the Chief Labour Officer did not consider violations of the rights of our members and the refusal of the PSMDU/NUSPAW to abide by the principles of transparency and accountability in the management of our account.

The Chief Labour Officer decided to organise a verification exercise in PSC Tema Shipyard to ascertain the union with the largest membership without recourse to our union on decisions regarding the dates for the verification exercise and our union did not have the opportunity to discuss our concerns and issues relating to the verification exercise.

We have reason to believe that the PSMDU had prior knowledge on dates set for the verification exercise by the Chief Labour Officer, which seemed convenient to PSMDU/NUSPAW.

This reinforces our perception of a flawed democratic process that is tilted in favour of the opposing party. The MDU resorted to court action to protect our members and to seek opportunity to address what we deemed as unfair processes for the verification exercise in addition to seeking accountability from the local union leaders of PSMDU/NUSPAW.

The General Council of the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) decided in its meeting held on 20th and 21 st December 2017 to set up a Dispute Resolution Committee to resolve conflicts among the affiliate unions of the TUC (Ghana). The leadership of the MDU and PSMDU/NUSPAW were part of the decision of the General Council of TUC ( Ghana). Based on an appeal by the leadership of the TUC (Ghana) to the leadership of the MDU for the withdrawal of the case between the MDU and PSMDU/NUSPAW from court to pave the way for an out-of- court settlement, the MDU instructed its lawyers to withdraw the case from the court which was granted by the court in its sitting on the 17th January 2018.

Realising that our union had respected the decision of the TUC(Ghana) , the PSMDU decided to push for the verification exercise and worked with the Chief Labour Officer to hold the verification exercise on the 19th of January 2018 in absolute disregard for the decision of the General Council of the TUC (Ghana).

The MDU decided not to participate in the verification exercise carried out by the Chief Labour Officer with the co-operation of the leaders of PSMDU/NUSPAW and the management of PSC Tema Shipyard because we hold the view that the decision of the PSMDU to participate in the verification exercise demonstrates lack of respect for the decisions of the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) and undermines the authority of the TUC (Ghana).

In our opinion, the result of the verification exercise is a pyrrhic victory and a moral defeat for the PSMDU which also confirms that the PMSDU/NUSPAW is not ready to be a law abiding union that respects the collective decisions of the TUC(Ghana). We entreat our members in PSC Tema Shipyard to remain calm even in the face of provocations after the verification exercise.

Daniel Owusu-Koranteng

General Secretary of the Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU)