Government expresses concern about ICU misrepresentations

100 million cedis stolen from Tamale branch of Bank of Ghana

ADB assures BHC depositors

Tripartite Committee urges ICU to call off strike

Find ways of regulating sex industry – Research

FOE hails rejection of chimpanzees' project

Deputy Minister asks ICU leader to resign

Do not travel to be Counted - Mahama

Industrial and Commercial Workers Union calls off strike

Co-operative Bank workers say they are not interested in buyout

Small Scale Carpenters set up lumber supply monitoring team

Gizo meets Iranian ambassador

Dormaa gets new Queenmother

Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb. 2000

Government said it has taken a serious view of attempts by the leadership of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) to malign and ridicule it through false representations of the labour situation abroad.

Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare told newsmen in Accra that the ICU has persistently made misleading reports regarding the government's position in the conflict and the subsequent split between the Union and the Textile, Garment and Leather Employees' Union (T'GLEU).

He was reacting to reports circulating among international labour organisations that accused the government of making deliberate attempts to weaken the ICU.

The reports further accused the state-owned media, particularly the "Daily Graphic," which, it said was being used to intimidate and silence the leadership and members of the ICU.

Alhaji Mumuni confirmed that the Ministry received a letter from the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa expressing concern about the allegations.

The Minister said it is unfortunate that the government should be maligned and ridiculed internationally because of a conflict between two workers' unions.

"It is also regrettable that a national workers' union, which has received so much support from (the) government over the years should under the guise of a flimsy excuse, turn round to accuse (the) government of weakening and silencing a democratic union."

The Minister called for an apology from the ICU.

"We strongly demand an unqualified apology from the ICU for causing so much damage to the image of Ghana in international circles. The country enjoys a reputation of honour in its commitment to the ideals of freedom and counted among the shining examples of hope, in the thriving democracies of Africa today."

He explained events leading to the breakaway saying it started with some internal bickering and mutual misunderstanding between the two sides which later degenerated into a full blown administrative conflict, and later fragmentation and the subsequent formation of T'GLU as a separate Union.

Alhaji Mumuni said the Ministry, as well as the International Textiles Union based in Brussels jointly made efforts to settle the matter, culminating in an agreement signed by the two parties to merge but things did not work out for reasons best known to both sides.

He reiterated that much assistance was offered to the ICU and T'GLEU without any bias, adding "the personalities from the two sides of the conflict themselves, it appeared, constituted even greater obstacles to peace, than the substantive issues at stake".

He said the government recognises dialogue and consensus building as essential to the evolving conducive working relationship between it and its social partners and would not allow rivalry between any groups to derail the congenial tripartite partnership the country now enjoys.

"Harmonious labour-management relations is crucial for an accelerated development and (the) government would continue to work to promote it", he added.

GRi./

Tamale (Northern Region) 2 Feb. 2000

A messenger at the Bank of Ghana in Tamale is helping the Police in their investigation into the circumstances that led to the stealing of 100 million cedis from the bank's vault last Tuesday.

A police source told the press on Tuesday that 67 million cedis has so far been retrieved from the messenger, whose name was being withheld to facilitate the investigations.

His alleged accomplice also a messenger at the bank is said to be on the run.

The messenger was arrested when he returned the money to the bank after confessing his role in the burglary to the wife.

Mr Prince Astanga Clement, Branch Manager of the Bank was also tight-lipped saying only, that officials from the head office are carrying out their own investigations.

"This is an internal matter and it is not worth pursuing", he told the press.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb. 2000

The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday assured customers of the liquidated Bank for Housing and Construction (BHC), Mobil House branch whose accounts have been transferred to its Cedi House branch that their monies are safe.

A statement in Accra from the ADB head office said every effort is being made for the customers to have access to their accounts as soon as possible.

The statement was in reaction to media reports that customers affected by the liquidation of BHC could not readily have access to their accounts, as ADB needed time to verify signatures.

It asked customers yet to go through the account opening procedures to continue the exercise and ignore reasons given for the delay in having access to their accounts as efforts have been intensified to secure access to signature cards of those who want to make withdrawals.

Some of the reasons, the statement said, have also been linked with the strike action called by the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) and are aimed at frustrating the depositors.

"The bank regrets the wrong impression created by the news stories and we advise that nothing should be done to worsen the plight of customers of the liquidated banks".

Meanwhile, unionised staff of commercial banks in the Kumasi Metropolis have responded to the strike action called by the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, (ICU) while senior staff were at post on Tuesday.

While the doors of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) main office and National Investment Bank (NIB) were closed to customers, senior staffs of Barclays Bank,

Standard Chartered Bank and Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) at Adum were working.

Mr Ekow Dadzie, local ICU Chairman of Barclays Bank, said the senior staffs were serving customers while junior staffs have joined the strike in solidarity

with their colleagues of the two liquidated banks, Bank for Housing and Construction (BHC) and Co-operative Bank.

He expressed the hope that the action would not be long since they have the interest of customers at heart.

"We wanted to avoid it but the authorities did not listen to us and things have turned out this way," he said.

Mr Ben K. B. Adomako, Assistant Registrar of the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi, looking dejected, appealed to the government to resolve the problems with the liquidated banks in order that customers of the banks will not continue to suffer.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb. 2000

The National Tripartite Committee (NTC), comprising representatives of the government, employers and labour associations, on Tuesday instituted measures to address the issues that led to the strike action by the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU).

As part of the measures, the NTC has, among other things, appealed to the government to seriously consider the management-worker buy-out proposal of the liquidated Bank for Housing and Construction (BHC).

They have, therefore, urged the ICU to call off their strike action and appealed to both labour and employers associations to withdraw all labour-related cases pending before the law courts for settlement by the NTC.

These were contained in an eight-point communiqué issued by the NTC after eight hours of deliberation at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare in Accra.

Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Ato Ampiah, Vice-President of Ghana Employers Association (GEA), and Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, Deputy Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) signed it.

Reading the communiqué to newsmen after the meeting, Alhaji Mumuni said the GEA had been charged with the settlement of outstanding labour issues involving Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) and African Automobile Limited (AAL) and report back to the NTC on 7 February.

He said the GEA is also to involve the ICU in the settlement process of labour issues at IKAM and report back to the NTC on the same date.

Regarding Assene Household and Enamel Ware Company Limited, the minister said the ministry would study the issue facing the company and take the necessary action to address the concerns of the parties involved.

Alhaji Mumuni also assured the concerned parties in the strike action of the commitment of the NTC to take measures that would prevent such industrial actions in the future.

This, he said, is necessary to ensure peace and stability in the industrial sector with the view to attracting and maintaining the confidence of investors.

Mr Napoleon Kpoh, General Secretary of the ICU, expressed satisfaction over the measures adopted by the NTC, saying: "these are not issues which can not be resolved and we are happy to see the NTC taking steps to address them".

He, however, said that the ICU executive would take a final decision on the communiqué on Wednesday morning and bring word to its members at a meeting to be held on Wednesday.

Commenting on media coverage of the strike action, Mr Kpoh said he was disappointed by reports that the strike action went unheeded, adding: "go and check from Tema and all the industrial areas and see whether any industry is working".

Mr Ampiah praised the NTC, saying: "the way it has handled the strike action shows that no level of labour unrest is beyond it".

He assured the ICU of the GEA's commitment to the responsibility given to it to address labour issues at the ATL, AAL and IKAM.

Mr Adu-Amankwah asked the NTC to apply the same level of commitment to other labour issues pending to prevent any situation that has the potential of degenerating into a strike action. .

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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb 2000

A baseline research on STD/AIDS has suggested that innovative ways must be found to regulate the sex industry so that commercial sex workers could be identified and involved in mainstream health programmes.

The researchers from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) expressed regret that the legislation making commercial sex illegal has not helped the Ghanaian society.

"It has not been able to stop people from practising or patronising it. Its continuation must be given a second look."

They said activities of commercial sex workers must be regulated for them to comply with mainstream health programmes where they would be identified and made to visit the health centres for routine check-ups.

The research, conducted in July and August last year among commercial sex workers in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region was to collect baseline information for the future evaluation of UNICEF sponsored programmes on HIV/AIDS prevention among a cross section of people in some urban areas in Ghana.

The study covered 102 commercial workers in Tutuka and Obuasi Central between ages 15 and 45.

Presenting the research findings in Accra on Tuesday, Dr John K Anarfi, a Senior Research Fellow at ISSER, also recommended the re-orientation of the Ghanaian society against certain misconceptions that could predispose girls to taking up commercial sex.

He said girls must have the ability to re-assert themselves as a means of empowerment. They must be economically empowered as well to keep them from entering the sex trade.

"Continuing education of women already in the sex trade is also important to reinforce and sustain the fear they have for diseases and to translate the fear to meaningful behavioural change".

Dr Anarfi said the education would also help sustain and reinforce their awareness of condom use as a protective device against diseases and to insist on its use when they have customers.

The researchers further suggested that girls' education must be made meaningful to add value to their lives. It said because girls mature earlier physically than boys, they should receive counselling as part of their education to give them a future direction.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb. 2000

Friends of Earth, Ghana (FOE), has applauded the rejection by President Jerry Rawlings of the resettlement of ancestral chimpanzees in Konlobi Island in the Volta Region.

It said in a statement on Tuesday in Accra, "we are delighted that the issue of the chimpanzees, which was an important environmental matter, has finally been resolved by the President in the national interest."

The statement signed by the Mr Douglas Korsah Brown, Campaign Co-ordinator of FOE, said by turning down the project, the President has acted in a manner, which takes public interest into consideration.

"Our environment as well as the precautionary principle enshrined in Agenda 21 of the Rio Declaration should be a guiding principle in any project aimed at promoting sustainable development."

The statement said the Chimpanzee issue has demonstrated the ability of the Ghanaian to rise above sectional interest in pursuit of common national good.

It congratulated the Ghanaian Chronicle, an Accra weekly newspaper, which raised the alarm on the issue and urged it to continue to give priority and coverage to social and environmental issues that run counter to the public interest.

FOE expressed the hope that Ghanaians would exhibit the same concern and speak with one voice on all environmental matters affecting the nation.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb. 2000

Mr Austin Gamey, a Deputy Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, on Tuesday asked Mr Napoleon Kpoh, General-Secretary of Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) to resign.

Mr Gamey, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, accused Mr Kpoh of not "being open in discussions with members of the Union".

Referring to an earlier call from Mr Kpoh for him to resign, Mr Gamey said ''I am not on Mr Kpoh's payroll for him to call for my resignation. He is not living up to expectations. He should rather resign".

Mr Gamey advised Mr Kpoh to humble himself to enable them to work in harmony.

The executives of the ICU on Monday, 31 January asked its members to embark on a nation-wide strike to protest against what they termed, "unfair labour practices and gross injustices being meted out to workers in recent times".

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Mr. John Mahama, Minister of Communications on Tuesday asked Ghanaians not to travel to their villages to be counted, since this would not give a representative picture of population distribution for planning.

He also asked parents and house owners not to hide disabled persons in their homes for fear of ridicule.

Mr Mahama made these statements at the first interaction between the media and the National Publicity and Education Committee on the 2000 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC).

He indicated that people would be doing themselves and their normal places of residence a disservice if they move to their villages to be counted.

"This will create a situation where facilities required in a particular area or region might not be adequate, since people who normally live there have gone to, or have come to, another place to be counted. This would make that area or region to have either less or more than required amenities".

Mr Mahama, who is the Chairman of the National Publicity and Education Committee, urged all Ghanaians and foreigners alike to lend their maximum support to the census in order to make it a resounding success.

"Everybody, not only Ghanaians, will be counted in order to give us a basis for planning the nation," Mr. Mahama added.

The Minister appealed to all media houses to resolve to give the 2000 NPHC the needed publicity in order to help erase some misconceptions people have on the purpose of the event.

He expressed regret that current census activities seem to be clouded by the CAN 2000 tournament, saying, "publicity must be stepped up on the Census immediately the tournament ends".

Dr Kweku A. Twum-Baah, Acting Government Statistician, outlining the process of the forthcoming census said two major activities would be undertaken during the enumeration period.

"Two weeks before the census night, which falls on 26 March 2000, census officers will survey their enumeration areas and list all structures and buildings and identify possible places of habitation.

"Floating populations will also be counted during this period. People living in confined areas such as barracks, hospitals, prisons, schools and universities".

He said there would be landmark events to serve as a reference point on the midnight of 26 March for the purposes of helping enumerators and those to be counted remember their locations.

Dr Twum-Baah said two weeks after the 26 March night will be for actual counting.

He said the national census office would be able to come out with a provisional figure about 10 weeks after counting.

He assured Ghanaians that all those in presumed inaccessible areas would be reached and counted.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 Feb. 2000

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) on Wednesday asked its striking members to resume work on Thursday.

This, it said, follows decisions reached at a tripartite meeting held with the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare and the Ghana Employers' Association (GEA) on Tuesday.

Speaking to hundreds of workers who had gathered in front of the Trades Union Congress head office in Accra, Mr Napoleon Kpoh, General Secretary, said ICU executives met with local union leaders on Wednesday morning and agreed that the striking workers should resume work unconditionally.

He said the meeting was to consult over the content of the communiqué issued after Tuesday's meeting.

The eight-point communiqué, among other things, appealed to the ICU to call off the strike action. It said in order to foster a friendly environment for labour investments in the Ghana economy, the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) urged all parties to consider withdrawing all labour-related cases pending before the law courts for settlement.

The GEA has up to 7 February to report to the NTC on the settlement of cases involving the Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) and the African Automobile Limited (AAL).

Mr Kpoh said as a result of this development, the workers are to resume work unconditionally pending the outcome of the task given to the GEA.

Unionised workers under the leadership of the ICU were asked to embark on a five-day strike action beginning Monday in solidarity with the two liquidated banks, Bank for Housing and Construction and Co-operative Bank, and the Ghana Textiles Manufacturing Company.

It was also to protest against "injustice in labour practices" being meted out to workers.

Some local unions could not begin the strike on Monday because the unions said they got the information to that effect late.

On Tuesday, some of the banks closed their doors to the public in the morning but re-opened after about four hours.

Membership of the ICU includes banking and non-banking financial institutions, the cocoa sector and manufacturing industries.

Mr Kpoh said developments so far fall in line with the ICU's original plan and warned employers to treat their workers with care while the issues are being resolved.

The ICU, he said, would advise itself after the 7 February deadline if it finds the GEA's report unfavourable.

The General Secretary said ICU does not have any intention of disrupting the nation's economic development process adding that every action taken by the ICU so far is legitimate.

He cautioned the media to report the truth rather than resorting to lies.

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Workers of the liquidated Ghana Co-operative Bank Limited said on Wednesday that they are not interested in worker/management buyout of the assets of the bank.

The workers, however, declared their intention to work with any new team that would take over the distressed bank.

Although they did not give reason for the decision, it is believed that the workers and management cannot afford to manage the liabilities of the bank.

A source at the Co-operative Bank told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that what the workers want now "is their settlements."

The source said negotiations are going on for the payment of severance and other entitlements due the workers.

"With this we can start new businesses because we want to begin new things."

The source confirmed that workers of the bank have received their salaries for January 2000.

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The Small-Scale Carpenters Association (SSCA) in Kumasi has set up a five-member team under the chairmanship of Mr Armiyawo Jibril to monitor the supply of wood from the government selected timber sawmills to local markets to ensure regular supplies to its members.

This was made known by Togbe S.K. Fugah, National President of the SSCA at a meeting with the executive committee of the Ashanti Regional branch of the Association in Kumasi on Tuesday.

He said the setting up of the team is not intended to undermine the authority of the timber task force or demonstrate its lack of confidence in the selected sawmills. It is rather to complement their efforts and facilitate their work.

He expressed regret that despite the designation of specific sawmills to supply lumber, "carpenters now have a greater difficulty in securing lumber from the sawmills".

Mr Reynolds Debrah, vice-chairman of the Ashanti region branch of the SSCA, appealed to the government to provide the task force with identification cards.

He said the lack of identity cards has paved the way for some recalcitrant security personnel who pose as task force members to obstruct the work of genuine carpenters by confiscating their lumber, which they send to unknown destinations.

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Mr Mike Gizo, Minister of Tourism, on Wednesday called for collaboration between Ghana and the Islamic Republic of Iran in the area of tourism.

He said Ghana has so much to learn from Iran, since it is located in an area where ancient civilisation started.

Mr Gizo made the call when Mr Kiomars Fotouhi Ghiam, the Iranian ambassador, paid a courtesy call on him in his office in Accra.

He asked Iran to help Ghana with funds to develop tourist potentials.

Mr Ghiam on his part said Iran would support Ghana to develop her tourism potential.

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A 23-year-old trader, Nana Yaa Fema, was installed the Queenmother of the Dormaa Traditional Area at Dormaa-Ahenkro on Tuesday.

She is the sister of Osagyefo Agyeman Badu II, Omanhene of the Dormaa Traditional Area.

Nana Fema hails from the Atoaso Royal Family and succeeds her mother, Nana Akosua Ansuaa, who died last year.

Osagyefo Agyeman Badu expressed happiness at the installation of the new Queen mother and appealed to the people to give her their support.

He stressed the need for unity among the people to accelerate development.

Nana Fema thanked the people for the confidence reposed in her and promised to mobilise women in the area to embark on income-generating venture to improve upon their standards of living.

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