Management of GTMC Threaten To Close Down Factory

The Management of the Ghana Textile Manufacturing Company (GTMC) has threatened to close down the factory indefinitely if the negative attitude of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) does not cease.

In a letter to the Deputy Minister of Manpower and Development Employment, Mr. Joe Donkor, the company said the ICU is interfering in the company’s efforts to find lasting solutions to the current impasse between staff and management.

The letter asked the Ministry to ensure that the ICU changes its undesirable attitude, emphasising that management has made it clear that it does not recognise the ICU as a representative of its workers. The company alleged that a recent draft communiqu? of a meeting held recently was altered and some additions on the issue of unionisation were made by the ICU and circulated.

In a related development, the GTMC workers union and the Textile and Garment Workers Union have requested the Ministry to urgently effect payment of the agreed entitlements due the 699 workers who have been laid off.

The General Secretary of the Union, Abraham Koomson says the resettlement of the affected workers is the union’s priority, adding that a strict adherence to Industrial Relations Practices will guarantee a cordial atmosphere in the factory when it re-opens. The GTMC has been closed down since November last year due to an impasse between workers and management over the unionisation of the staff.