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Channel oil find proceeds to
agric and manufacturing sectors, government told
Accra, Dec. 6, Ghanadot/GNA – The Maritime Dockworkers Union
(MDU) has advised the Government to build its negotiating
capacity to enable the country to derive maximum benefits
from oil exploitation and channel revenues accrued into the
agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
To attain this, the Government should make any terms of
agreement relating to oil production in Ghana transparent by
involving civil society organisations, the Trades Union
Congress (TUC) and all sections of the Ghanaian society.
These were contained in a resolution adopted at the end of
the 52nd Session of the National Executive Council of MDU
held in Tema and issued in Accra on Thursday.
The Union said Ghana should learn from the experiences in
Nigeria and adapt the Norwegian practice of using oil
revenue for social and economic development.
The Union condemned the use of brute force against
defenceless communities that lived in places that were rich
in natural resources.
It called on the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment
to take immediate steps to remove Ports and Harbour Services
from the list of “Essential Services” and described the
listing as an attempt to stifle maritime employees in their
desire to use legitimate means of defending their rights.
It said Maritime employees were facing many challenges and
the Union would use all legal means to resist attempts to
stifle it.
The Union said the National Labour Commission (NLC) was
unable to dispense justice to workers and asked the
Government to provide it with the necessary resources to
make it function more efficiently.
It called on the Government to build the capacity of
disaster institutions to enable them to prevent and respond
to disasters and suggested that telephone service providers
should facilitate the sending of distress calls.
The Union condemned the victimisation of Education
professionals, who had spoken out on problems relating to
the implementation of the Education Reforms.
It called on the Government to provide adequate resources
for the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative
Justice (CHRAJ) and Serious Fraud Office to enable them to
function efficiently.
The Government should place women in places of authority to
reflect their contribution in society.
The Union called on the Labour Department to educate fishing
companies with expatriate management on the Labour Laws of
the country and to get them to comply.
It supported Trades Union Congress’ call on the Government
not to sell the Bank of Ghana’s 48.19 per cent share in the
Agricultural Development Bank (ADB).
The Union commended Ghana Aids Commission for helping to
sensitise maritime employees on the HIV/AIDS menace.
GNA
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