Ashanti Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union holds 2025 Delegates Conference

The Ashanti Regional Council of the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) elected new executives at its 2025 Delegates’ Conference held at the SSNIT Conference Hall in Kumasi last Friday.

The delegates elected Youth, Women and Regional Executives who were sworn into office, before adopting resolutions for ICU’s upcoming 12th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference (QDC), slated for August, this year.

Delivering his Keynote Address, Mr. Morgan Awayine, Chief Executive Officer and General-Secretary, ICU-Ghana, acknowledged the importance and relevance of the conference, which heralds the 12th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference.

He said the forum would ensure that “collective and right” decisions are taken to reflect the “aims and objectives” of the National Union, in its quest to continue to be the “preferred” trade union organisation in Ghana and one of the best in Africa.

The General-Secretary disclosed that just like the “Phoenix”, the Union has “risen from its ashes” of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which caused huge membership attrition of the Union.

Touching on Union-Management relationship, Mr. Awayine acknowledged that every business endeavour has two in-built system of democracy; which are Labour and Employer, to make the business “operational and profitable”.This requires the “sacrifice, commitment and collaboration” of the two democratic elements, hence the need for equal partnership on the side of Union and Management for effective collaboration.

Mr. Morgan Awayine lauded the 24-Hour Economy initiative, which is intended to open up “new avenues” for employment for the teeming unemployed youth in the country, envisaging that this “lofty idea” is realised for “job creation and sustainability”, to improve income and social protection of the Ghanaian worker.

The General-Secretary, therefore, urged all workers and employers to be guided by “the dictates” of the Collective Agreement and the Labour Law, which are key tools, as well as do the “right thing” at all times so that either party would be justified in the end.

He also entreated Government, Employers and Labour to endeavour to address labour-related concerns with “speed and alacrity” in order to forestall unnecessary industrial actions at the workplace, noting that “productivity suffers when there is no peace and harmony within the arena of labour relations”.

Mr. John Abayah, Regional Officer, ICU-Ashanti, while presenting the Executive Summary Report, disclosed that three personnel have been employed to augment the staff strength in order to provide efficient, timely and quality service to members.

The Regional Officer disclosed that the region had an average salary increment of 25% across all 36 locals, with the highest being 35%, hoping that salaries will go up in the future.

Mr. Abayah, also disclosed the region has seen a 25% increment of the inherited membership of 3,600, by the close of 2024 and urged locals to “unionise” their Senior Staff to enhance negotiations.

He assured the Union Leadership of their quest to promote and improve service delivery to members and their respective employers, as well as protecting the “enviable reputation” of the union.

From Oswald Pius Freiku, Kumasi

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