Business News of Thursday, 27 January 2005

Source: GNA

Accra ICU urges TUC not to eject union

Accra, Jan. 27, GNA - The Greater Accra Branch of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) on Thursday urged the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to immediately halt decisions to forcefully eject the Union from the Hall of Trades Unions.

The Accra-ICU said that since the building belonged to organized labour, it was wrong for TUC to use 'clandestine motives" to force them out of the Hall.

These were contained in a resolution adopted by the Branch at a meeting held in Accra last Monday.

The resolution, copied to the Acting Minister of Manpower Development and Employment, Chief Labour Officer, Labour Department, General Secretary of ICU, Ghana and all regional officers of ICU, Ghana, was signed by Mr Ellis Otis Osei and Mrs Angela Owusu-Ansah, Acting Chairman and Assistant Secretary of the Branch, respectively.

In the resolution, the Branch supported the timely decision of its mother union to disaffiliate from the TUC.

It said: "We shall continue to give our unflinching support to the Leadership and National Executive Council of the ICU and urge them to be on their feet in the face of all challenges.

"We believe that it is through industrial peace and tranquillity in the labour front that increase in productivity can be realised.

"Therefore, the TUC Leadership must desist from nurturing yellow unions and fathering breakaways as these naturally would precipitate acrimony amongst workers."