ICU will pursue better life for workers - General Secretary

The 50-year old Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) says it will continue to champion the interests and aspirations of workers in a broad spectrum of the nation’s economy.

“ICU seeks to bring about harmonisation of the relationship between workers/unions and employers’ associations and Government, which is the largest employer, to promote productivity," said Mr. Solomon S. A. Kotei, General-Secretary of ICU.

He was speaking to journalists in Accra on commemoration of the May Day celebration. According to him, Government should be firm enough to deal with corporate greed, by creating public policy that is genuinely in the public interest backed by robust and enforceable legislative and regulatory frameworks - all aimed at creating wealth and reciprocating economic dignity and social justice among the working populace.

Mr. Kotei explained that at this time when the tax burden on workers has increased, anti-union and contract staffing are now the new tools in the hands of employers to maximise profit, making more workers worse off than ever.

He congratulated all workers and also the Professional and Managerial Staff Union (P & MSU), which was formed in 1994 by ICU, on their courage and contribution to unionism in Ghana, and urged all such officers with corporate entities who have not yet joined this union to do so since ICU is now more vibrant than it used to be few years ago.

On the current industrial action by the members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Mr. Kotei urged Government to quickly sit down with them to find an amicable solution and avoid the loss of innocent lives.