ICU-Ghana calls on workers to be peaceful and united

The Acting General Secretary of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU-Ghana) Mr Morgan Ayawine has called for peace and unity among workers and citizens on the African continent.
The General Secretary said: “Peace is a necessary condition to attract increased investment opportunities that will create more jobs in Africa to help reduce the unemployment rate.”
Mr Ayawine was speaking to the Ghana News Agency about how ICU-Ghana was celebrating its 57th Anniversary since the Union was formed on 25th May, 1960.
He also congratulated Africans on this year’s African Union (AU)Day and expressed hope that, “African leaders will continue to work to create the right environment that will ensure improved welfare of all citizens irrespective of their social and economic status”.
He said the ICU would continue to work towards harmonious working relations at all times to enhance productivity and help grow the economy rapidly.
On 25th of May, 1960, the General Secretaries of five national unions namely: Commercial and Allied Workers’ Union, General Clerical and Public Boards Employees Union, Printers and Newspapers Workers Union, Manufacturing and Industrial Workers Union, as well as catering and Meat Cutters union closed their ranks and worked selflessly for the merger of their unions into a single national Union.
That gave rise to the formation of Union.
Mr Ayawine said the selfless act of the five visionary General Secretaries was very encouraging and that ought to serve as a signal for smaller unions today to work towards the path of merging into one stronger union.
“The formation of smaller splinter and ineffective in-house unions only go to weaken the fibre of trade unionism,” he said.
He said the vision and aspirations that the founding fathers of ICU-Ghana had then “which are still valid today, have not been in vain as the ICU-Ghana  has metamorphosed into the largest heterogeneous trade union organisation in Ghana today, championing the  economic aspirations and improved social status of majority of Ghanaian workers”.
The ICU has been organising workers in various sectors of the economy including Banks, non-bank financial institutions, mining and mining services, insurance companies, hotel, catering and allied undertakings, paper and printing industries.
Others include General industries, Textile, garment, leather and fur, metal and automobile, professional and Managerial staff, Informal Sector and tourism.
On the occasion of the 2017 AU Day and the 57th anniversary of ICU- Ghana, Mr Ayawnine said, “the leadership of the Union salutes all patriotic workers  of Ghana and  Africa in general  and called on African countries to merge their economies by ensuring free trade among themselves”.
“It is the hope of the ICU that all citizens will continue to be patriotic and sacrifice, to build a better and prosperous Africa for the present and future generation.”
He also expressed gratitude to the workers’ union social partners, their employers and assured them of the ICU’s continued collaboration for increased productivity and profitability of their businesses.
He, however, warned that: “We will not relent in our demand for a fair share of the wealth we help to create for the organisations.”
GNA

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