ICU gives Volta Star Textiles a week to renegotiate workers salary

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has given a week ultimatum to the management of Volta Star Textiles Limited to return to the negotiation table with its workers or risk industrial disharmony.

Its Deputy National General Secretary in-charge of operations, Morgan Ayawine, insists the continuous delay in negotiating for conditions of service could affect the work output of employees of the company.

He said this when he sworn into office a seven-member Local Labour Union executives of the Volta Star Textiles Limited. Established in 1968 to produce grey baft for textiles manufacturing industries, Volta Star has over the years bedeviled with labour unrests and grappling with production challenges.

The company, which should have a workforce of over 2,000 staff excluding management, has a staff strength of 1,100; an increment from the initial rate 620 workers.

A number of workers have been laid off due to the dwindling fortunes and challenges of the factory. Permanent workers receive monthly salaries of between GHC250 and GHC300, something the workers say is woefully inadequate. Some workers have even not been paid for eight months.

There have been continuous agitations by workers who believe they are being exploited, and are thus demanding increase in salaries. But the demand of the workers has not down well with management of the company which has failed to agree to negotiations with the workers through their labour union, the ICU.

The Local Union Chairman, Bright Sikanku said there has been long period of negotiations due to management’s failure to agree on a common salary range and a freeze on promotions. Meanwhile, acting Managing Director of Volta Star, Jerome Dunyo, has assured the workers of management preparedness to rebuild strong relationship between them and the workforce of the factory.