Sunon Asogli workers’ unionisation tussle: TUC, GMWU set to demonstrate on May 9

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) in solidarity with the  Ghana Mine Workers’ Union (GMWU), is set to embark on a massive demonstration on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 for what they describe as an abuse of workers’ rights by Chinese firm, Sunon Asogli Power Ghana.

This follows the expiry of an ultimatum given by the unions for the company to reinstate the workers whose contracts were allegedly terminated on the basis that they joined the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union.

During the 2023 National May Day Parade, Secretary General of the TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah indicated that his outfit has already notified the Police in Tema about its intention to embark on the first solidarity action against the Chinese company.

“All union members in Tema and Accra should get ready for action on the 9th of May, 2023”, he said.

Dr. Baah added “we will let them know that they cannot come from China to tell us what to do in our own country.”

He, however, appealed to President Akufo-Addo to intervene to avert any possible disturbances on the labour front.

Meanwhile, in an interview on BusinessLive on the JoyNews Channel, General Secretary of the Ghana Mineworkers Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana said co-founder of Sunon Asogli Togbe Afede XIV who is also the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, recently indicated to the union, his preparedness to engage the company with the view to finding a more lasting solution to the matter.

According to Mr. Gbana, the expectation is that Togbe Afede XIV, based on the conversations that took place between both of them, will revert latest Monday May 8, 12023, for an amicable solution to avert the planned demonstration.

“Barring that arrangement we have with Togbe Afede, we believe that Tuesday May 9 [2023] we are proceeding with our actions.

Meanwhile, the GMWU in its latest press statement dated May 4, 2023 has described as factual inaccuracies, misrepresentations and fabrication, a statement put out by the company captioned, “Sunon Asogli’s position on Matters Relating to Unionization.”

The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union said, together with the workers of Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited, it went through the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate that empowers the union to represent and negotiate with the company on behalf of the workers.

“At every material time during the unionization process, the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union did not only adopt the procedure and approach required by the law, but it also worked collaboratively with regulatory institutions of the state including the Labour Department of Ghana”, the statement added.

The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union and the TUC say they will not tolerate employers who are out there to suppress and oppress the rights and liberties of workers.

“Therefore, if by this resolve, Sunon Asogli finds the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union as “arrogant, aggressive and uncompromising”, that is unfortunate”, the statement added.

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