The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) Ghana has called for immediate government recapitalisation of the New Times Corporation (NTC) and the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to help revamp the two state-owned ailing media organisations.
The two, it said, were struggling to survive and the salaries and benefits of the staff of the two organisations were in arrears for several months due to financial difficulties.
The General Secretary of ICU Ghana, Mr Morgan Ayawine, who made the call in Accra during the Accra Regional Council, Youth and Women Conference, further said, the retirement benefits and provident fund contributions of the retried staff of state publishers were outstanding.
The programme held on Friday elected new officers for the Greater Accra branch of the ICU Ghana as prelude to its 12th National Quadrennial Conference scheduled for August this year in Accra.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr Ayawine said the panacea to addressing the financial challenges facing the two organisations was recapitalisation, indicating that as part of the government’s agenda to create jobs, it should take steps to recapitalise the two state-owned organisations.
He said the two organisations played important role in the dissemination of government policies as well as educating, entertaining and informing the public of happenings in the country and across the world.
Mr Ayawine averred that as the government supported ADB and NIB to improve their capital so must government intervene and support NTC and GGCL to deliver on their constitutional mandate of information dissemination.
He pledged that the ICU Ghana would raise the recapitalisation of the two organisations with the sector minister.
The ICU Ghana General Secretary said the union had worked hard and collaborated with the government for Volta Aluminium Company to be revamped and plans were underway for Aluworks to be resuscitated.
The ICU Ghana General Secretary stressed the need for equal partnership between unions and employers, saying that capital and labour were crucial to create, produce and generate profit.
Mr Ayawine said unionism was shifting towards dialogue and called for “constructive dialogue between management and unions” to promote a healthy working environment.
The General Secretary of ICU Ghana advised various branches of the association to bring resolutions on socio-economic issues such as employment for discussion and to the attention of the President during the 12th National Quadrennial Conference.
“The forthcoming 12th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of our union, therefore, gives us a great opportunity to talk to the government on socio-economic issues that are not helping the cause of workers on whose shoulders the development of the nation rest, as well as policies that are inimical to the interest and livelihood of workers, through conference resolutions,” Mr Ayawine, stated.
He said the national conference was a great opportunity for the ICU Ghana to make its voice heard on policies that were inimical to the aspirations of workers and the development of the country.
The Regional Chairman of the Greater Accra Branch of the ICU Ghana, Belinda Cochrane, in her remarks said the conference was to prepare for the 12th National Quadrennial Conference.
She said it was also to take stock of the activities of the branch for the past years and chart a new way forward.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
