Read this article in:
1 December, 1999A campaign to intimidate the leadership and members of the Industrial & Commercial Workers' Union must be stopped.
GHANA: The International Metalworkers' Federation has sent a strong protest to the Government of Ghana to stop the continuing harassment and intimidation of the IMF-affiliated Industrial & Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) and its democratically-elected leadership. The IMF is also concerned that the state-owned newspaper, the Daily Graphic, is being used to spearhead this campaign against the union with unwarranted attacks on the leadership.
At two companies, the AkosomboTextile Ltd. and the Mitsubishi Motor Co.'s African Automobile Ltd./International Automobile Ltd., hundreds of workers have been threatened, intimidated and dismissed without reason. With regard to the Mitsubishi company, the IMF has contacted both its Japanese affiliate, the Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions - IMF-JC, and the Mitsubishi World Council, to raise the matter with the parent company.
The IMF calls upon its affiliates to send strong protest messages to the government of Ghana and the management of both companies, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed workers and the recognition of the workers' right to trade union representation, and to enter into negotiations with the ICU.
Addresses are as follows:
The Minister
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 667251
Mr. Austin Gamey
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 667251
The Managing Director
African Automobile Ltd/International Automobile Ltd
P.O. Box 1346
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 223116
The General Manager
Akosombo Textile Ltd
P.O. Box 298
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 238001
At two companies, the AkosomboTextile Ltd. and the Mitsubishi Motor Co.'s African Automobile Ltd./International Automobile Ltd., hundreds of workers have been threatened, intimidated and dismissed without reason. With regard to the Mitsubishi company, the IMF has contacted both its Japanese affiliate, the Japan Council of Metalworkers' Unions - IMF-JC, and the Mitsubishi World Council, to raise the matter with the parent company.
The IMF calls upon its affiliates to send strong protest messages to the government of Ghana and the management of both companies, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed workers and the recognition of the workers' right to trade union representation, and to enter into negotiations with the ICU.
Addresses are as follows:
The Minister
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 667251
Mr. Austin Gamey
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 667251
The Managing Director
African Automobile Ltd/International Automobile Ltd
P.O. Box 1346
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 223116
The General Manager
Akosombo Textile Ltd
P.O. Box 298
Accra, Ghana
Fax: (233) 21 238001