Court orders workers to stay action

Accra (Greater Accra) 9th July '99 - An Accra high court on Thursday ordered workers of the African Automobile Limited (AAL) to stay all industrial action until their case with management, which is pending before it, is disposed of.

The order followed a complaint by management that last week some of the workers besieged the premises of the company and allegedly threatened to cause harm.

Mr Justice Richard K. Apaloo, who presided, warned that if they defied the order, "I will have all of them rounded up and make sure that they are kept in a place where they will have cold feet". "This nation needs industrial peace for development and progress and, therefore, the courts will not tolerate any acts of indiscipline".

The AAL has sued the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the TUC for illegally organising workers of the company to demonstrate against management.

The AAL further alleged in their statement of claim that the ICU instigated the workers to take over the company after which they forcibly closed the premises down for three weeks, thus disrupting business.

The substantive case has been adjourned to July 21.