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

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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