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NLC gives railway workers final order to resume work
Accra, March 13, Ghanadot/GNA - The National Labour
Commission (NLC) on Thursday gave a "final order" to workers
of the Ghana Railway Company to call off their strike and
resume work immediately and unconditionally.
The order was contained in a letter written to the Chairman
of the Interim Management Committee of the Railway Workers'
Union in Takoradi.
The letter signed by Mr Edward Briku-Boadu, Executive
Secretary of NLC, said the striking workers had up to the
close of work on Friday, March 14, to resume duty
unconditionally.
It was copied to the Ministers of Harbours and Railways,
Manpower Development, Youth and Employment, Managing
Director of Ghana Railway Company, General Secretary, Ghana
Railway Workers' Union, General Secretary Railway Enginemen
Workers Union and the Legal Department of the NLC.
It read: In pursuance of the National Labour Commission's
directives dated Monday, 10th March, 2008 to the striking
workers of Ghana Railway Company Limited for the workers to
call off their strike action and resume work immediately, we
serve this as a Final Order on the workers led by Mr J.K. T.
Dadzie, the IMC Chairman of Railway Workers' Union, the IMC
members and all the workers of Ghana Railway Company Ltd. to
call off the strike and return to work immediately.
"In making this Final Order, the Commission is guided by
Section 133 of the Labour Act 2003, Act 651 which states
"(1) where the Commission finds that a person had engaged in
an unfair practice it may, if it considers fit, make an
order forbidding the person to engage or continue to engage
in such activities as it may specify in the order.
"You have up to the close of work, Friday, 14th March, 2008
to resume duty unconditionally.
"Failure to comply with this directive will compel the
Commission to seek enforcement under Section 172 of Act 651.
"By copy of this Order, the employer is to advise the
Commission before the close of work on Friday, 14th March if
the workers have complied with this Final Order."
Last Monday, the NLC directed workers of the Ghana Railways
Company to immediately call off their strike action and
return to work unconditionally.
It also asked the management of the Company to immediately
pay all the outstanding salaries due to the workers.
The NLC order followed separate meetings held with the
Management and the workers to resolve the impasse that had
resulted in the strike action.
The workers, who called the strike to back their demands for
the payment of outstanding salaries, are also calling for a
150 per cent salary increase and the removal of their
management.
The NLC said the workers should constitute the appropriate
leadership in accordance with their own constitution to
prepare themselves to negotiate and also open negotiations
with their management.
The statement dismissed the workers' request for the removal
of the management, saying the appointment, promotion and
removal of management personnel were the preserve of the
employer and/or the owner and therefore the issue had been
referred to the sector Minister of Harbours and Railways.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the sector Minister,
also called on the striking workers to end their strike
action saying their petitions, grievances and concerns would
be addressed by the Ministry.
He said the continued strike action by the workers was
having a "significant toll" on the modest finances of the
company.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi said the intervention of the NLC
underscored the importance that stakeholders attached to the
grievances of the striking workers.
He also said the salary arrears of the workers had been
lodged in the account of the Ghana Railway Company Limited
and that the workers ought to return to work in order to
access the money.
However, in reaction, more than 2,000 striking workers on
Wednesday embarked on a peaceful demonstration through
principal streets in Sekondi to demand the dismissal of
their Managing Director, Mr. Rufus Quaye, from office.
The demonstrators also demanded the payment of their salary
arrears covering four months, as well as pay rise and a new
collective bargaining agreement.
The workers, clad in red bands on their arm, hand and heads,
danced and chanted war songs during the match.
They presented a petition to Mr Anthony Amoah, Western
Regional Minister at his office in Sekondi.
They said they were marching to let the public know the
truth about the entire railway crisis and the poor
management style of Mr Quaye and his team.
They carried placards some of which read, "Prof.
Ameyaw-Akumfi is a failure to GRC," "Quaye must go," "We
have suffered enough" and "Pay us our salaries now".
The workers have been on strike for almost a month, despite
a directive by the NLC asking them to resume work.
GNA
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