Ghana’s largest independent power producer, Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited, has expressed disgust at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for failing to engage them and rather siding with Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) for engaging in what they described as illegality.
According to Sunon Asogli, it expected the TUC, which is the umbrella body of all workers’ unions to have approached them to hear their side of the story regarding claims by the Ghana Mines Workers Union they were resisting attempts by their workers to unionise.
“Sunon Asogli is not and has never been against unionization.
“Indeed, the company is aware of the right of our employees under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), to join a union.
“The issue has been about the procedure and approach adopted by the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union (“GMWU” or “the Union”),’’ Sunon Asogli stated.
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At a press conference addressed by the TUC Secretary-General, Dr Yaw Baah, who accused Asogli Power Ghana Limited of resisting the decision by the workers to join a union, sent a clear message that the Chinese company cannot establish in Ghana to tell the indigenes what they should do in their own country.
However, Asogli Power Ghana Limited, in a statement issued, accused the Ghana Mine Workers Union of gathering at the company’s premises in Kpone illegally.
Asogli Power Ghana said what is even more surprising is the conduct of the TUC.
“One would have expected that the TUC Secretary General, the overall boss of the trade unions in Ghana and whose affiliate is GMWU, will write to the company to engage and hear the side of the company, understand the issues and therefore the role the TUC could play.
“They decided to follow the Union and painted the company as anti-union, but members of the public are discerning and should be able to determine whether the company is anti-union or the GMWU is an aggressive, uncompromising, intimidatory Union organization.
“We are disappointed in the Trade Union Congress (TUC) as a mother body, particularly by its press release of March 27, 2023, and the subsequent speech of the Secretary-General on May Day 2023, which were laced with threats, falsehood, and distortions, with the sole intention to injure the reputation of Sunon Asogli and to lower the Company in the estimation of right thinking members of society generally and in particular to expose the Company to hatred, contempt, ridicule, and opprobrium.”
According to Sunon Asogli, the inability of the TUC to hear from both sides before jumping to a conclusion is worrying.
“The National Labour Commission, on March 15, 2023, advised the parties to stay all actions including commenting on the issue in the media, but the GMWU hid under the umbrella of TUC and has done just the opposite, all in the quest to intimidate Sunon Asogli,’’ it said.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com