The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), has called on the Government to revamp defunct factories in the Upper East Region, before initiating the “one District, one factory policy”.

The Deputy General Secretary of the Union, Mr Morgan Ayawine, observed that it would be inappropriate for the Government to establish new factories whilst the defunct factories were not revamped.

The Deputy General Secretary who made the call during the regional conference of the Union held in Bolgatanga cited defunct factories such as the Pwalugu Tomato Factory, the Zuarungu Meat Factory, the Rice Mills, the Cotton Ginnery among others which have all been left unattended to by successive governments.

“Whilst applauding the present government for initiating the one District, one factory policy, it will be inappropriate for the Government to initiate the construction of new factories whilst the defunct ones are left unattended,” he stressed.

Mr Ayawine said the one District one factory was the dream of the ICU in the past and noted that the policy would halt the Influx of the youth from northern Ghana to the south in such of jobs which were hard to come by.

The Deputy General Secretary expressed concern about attitudes of some Board Directors of Rural and Community Banks who hijacked the roles of management by writing dismissal letters to their employees. He warned such Boards to desist from the act.

He said newly agreed salaries based on categorisations of the Rural and Community Banks had been fixed and entreated management to operate within the rules to avoid the practice where they under pay their workers.

“The categorisation is 35A, 30B, 25C and will be reviewed regularly to offer good salaries to the workers as motivation to them to work hard to render quality services to clients to enable the Banks make more profits”, he stated.

Whilst commending the present Government for pursuing justice at the Ghana Cocoa Board, the Deputy General Secretary was emphatic that the ICU as a non-political body would continue to bring pressure to Government to ensure that it addressed the concerns of workers.

The Regional Officer of the Union, Mr Agamu Rudolph, explained that the regional conference was part of the preparation towards the Union’s Quadrennial Delegates Conference slated for August, in Kumasi.

The occasion was used to elect new Regional Executive members of the Union to steer the affairs of the organisation for another four years.

They included Mr Mubarak Abubarkar, as Regional Chairman, Mr Desmond Awingut, Regional Vice Chairman, Ms Hilda Adams, Trustee, Mr Majeed Seidu, Executive Member, Mr Eugene Seidu representing the Youth, Ms Deborah Atia, representing the women wing and Mr Agamu Rudolf, Regional Secretary, who doubles as the Regional Industrial Relations Officer.