TUC inaugurates four new affiliates 

Yaw-Baah -TUC

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday, inducted four new Associations as affiliates of the national Union as part of its continuous effort to protect the economic and social interest of all workers. 
  
The new members were; the United Spare Parts Merchants (USPM), Aluminum Fabricators Association of Ghana (ALUFAG), Cocoa Research Institute Workers’ Union (CRIWU) and General Construction Manufacturing and Quarries Workers Union (GCMQWU).      
  
Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, the Secretary General of the TUC, urged the leadership of the new entrants to refrain from partisan politics so as to effectively protect the interest of their members. 
 
Dr Baah explained that the constitution of the Union prohibited all leaders of affiliate Unions to disengage from participating in activities of political parties, saying “we are not partisan but we work with political parties”.
 
He cautioned that “the TUC will not tolerate leaders who do partisan politics. We will certainly sanction and evict leaders from their posts when they are found in such activities”.
 
Dr Baah, however, noted that the Union did not in any way prevent its members and leaders from joining any political parties of their choice.
 
He reaffirmed the Union’s commitment towards protecting the interests of its members saying that “We urge all workers to form unions and be incorporated into the TUC to guard against all forms of discriminations and other anomalies they normally face at their work places.”
 
He said the TUC was committed to building the capacities of its members through periodic training to make them more efficient at their work places. 
 
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Gabriel Sarpong, the General Secretary of the USPM expressed confidence in the TUC saying that the USPM would endeavour to adhere to all the rules and regulations governing the Union.     
 
“We are resolute to ensure that all our actions and business operations are in line with the professional ethics governing our membership,” Mr Sarpong assured.     
 
Mr George Ohene Nkansah, the General Secretary of CRIWU, commended the Executives of the TUC for accepting the CRIWU back into the Union, explaining that the CRIWU had earlier denounced its membership with the TUC due to some leadership problems the association faced.   
 
But, the breakaway, Mr Nkansah said, was not good enough for the CRIWU as the union believed in being a member of the TUC would accelerate the growth of the CRIWU.   
 
He therefore, noted that the comeback was crucial as government usually dealt with the smaller unions through the TUC.
 
“We see it as a privilege to be accepted back into the Union because there is strength in unity,” he added.
 
Mr Edward Nyarko, a member of ALUFAG, said joining the TUC gave them the confident that they had a strong backbone now to push their agenda especially when it came to dealing with the difficulties in securing visas to do business outside the shores of Ghana.
 
Mr Ernest Selasi Abatso, the Deputy General Secretary of GCMQWU, said the only way workers could secure their economic and social interests was to form unions so as to make their voices louder in fighting for their freedoms and rights.   

Mr Abatso noted that the TUC as a mother body for all small unions was viable in articulating the concerns of Ghanaian workers and served as the platform for workers to grow.   

“I urge all workers to be part of this great body and enjoy all the benefits it offers,” he said adding that, GCMQWU considered it an honour to be registered as an affiliate of the TUC.   

The TUC of Ghana is the main umbrella organisation for trade union activities in the country.  

It is the official mouthpiece of unionised labour dealing with government and other employers’ associations. 

Source: GNA

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