New labour union gets certificate

Tema, Jan 10, GNA -- A new labour union, "Union of Industrial Workers" (UIW), has been issued with a certificate by the Chief Labour Officer to practice trade unionism in Ghana.

Mr Emmanuel Aborjoe, General Secretary of the union, told the GNA that UIW is to ''give direction and absorb workers'' that wish to be part of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) but have been deprived due to the breakaway of ICU from the TUC.

He said some members of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) did not want the union to break away from the TUC.

''Such members are of the view that the breakaway of ICU was a unilateral decision of Mr Napoleon Kpoh, ICU General Secretary, without any discussion with the rank and file of the union.''

Mr Aborjoe said UIW is prepared to embrace such dissatisfied members who still wanted to belong to TUC, because UIW would affiliate with the TUC and that workers who were not satisfied with ICU Leadership would be welcomed.

He said the Leadership of the new union would soon hold a press conference to introduce the union to the public.

Other executive members are Mr J.K. Enningful, National Chairman, Mr Albert Sey, Vice National Chairman, Mr Felix Abban, Deputy General Secretary, Miss Elizabeth Danquah, First Trustee and Mr Prince Boateng Adusei, Second Trustee.

Six senior officers of ICU have tendered in their resignation since the union broke away from TUC.

They are Richard Nana Aidoo, Head of Education Department; Felix Sewonu, Senior Industrial Relations Officer (IRO); Kofi Obeng, IRO; George Atikpo, Senior IRO; Jones Danful, IRO Tema Regional Officer and Mavis Mensah, Secretary, Tema Regional Office.