https://www.myjoyonline.com/dont-use-us-for-your-selfish-interests-keda-workers-tell-cbmwu-of-tuc/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/dont-use-us-for-your-selfish-interests-keda-workers-tell-cbmwu-of-tuc/

Workers of Chinese ceramics manufacturers in Ghana, TWYFORD KEDA have unanimously dismissed suggestions by the Construction and Building Materials Workers Union of the TUC to unionise, calling it unnecessary disturbance of their working environment for their selfish interests.

Workers of TWYFORD KEDA from various departments on Monday, January 20, 2025, expressed their satisfaction with their working conditions and their relationship with the company management and human resource department, rejecting attempts by certain labour union elements in the Western region to introduce unionisation to them.

The workers claim the CBMWU in December 2024 sent electronic communications to all workers of TWYFORD KEDA Ghana Ceramics including senior management, urging them to join the labour union.

This unsolicited communication from the union appeared clearly in breach of the Data Protection Act since the personal information of the workers was not obtained with the authorisation of TWYFORD KEDA management.

Many of the workers including the senior management were alarmed and raised concerns about how their private and  personal information provided to the company as their employer got into the hands of a third party (CBMWU) which was being used in public.

The KEDA management said it wrote to the CBMWU of TUC on December 27, 2024 to protest their procession and use of illegally obtained personal information of its workers and demanded a disclosure of the source of the personal data of KEDA workers in their hands as well as removal and destruction of the personal information of the staff of the company.

It said however, the CBMWU of TUC provided an evasive response to KEDA, justifying their action and continued to use company data to recruit workers from selected departments at KEDA to incite other workers of the company to engage in union activities during working hours at the KEDA factory.

While this conflict over use of illegally obtained company data is still ongoing between KEDA and the CBMWU of TUC, an issue the company’s lawyers consider a serious breach of law which is also a major risk to the workers’ privacy and the operations of the company, the CBMWU’s Western Regional officers continue to contact some of the TWYFORD KEDA workers to influence them with promises of rewards of all kinds.

The KEDA management showed pressmen what it said was evidence of electronic transfer of money from one of the regional officers of the Union to a contract staff to support the recruited workers to mobilize other workers to join the Union.

According to the KEDA management, these illegal behind-the-scenes activities have led to insubordination, indiscipline, and interruption of productive work in the Engineering unit where artisans such as carpenters, steel benders and welders are engaged on a short-term contract in an ongoing expansion project in the company.

They pointed out that eight workers hand-picked by the CBMWU as the agents of the union in the company are all contract staff whose contracts end in March 2025. Four of them are carpenters, one is a steel bender and the other two are welders.

Meanwhile, KEDA has taken the position that until the source of the illegal acquisition of the personal information of its workers in breach of the Data Protection Act is disclosed and all such information removed from the custody of the CBMWU, verified and confirmed by experts, KEDA will not engage in any official dealings with the Union.

KEDA CERAMICS has over 4,100 direct workers, most of whom live on their manufacturing campus in dormitories provided freely by the company in the heart of Aboadze.

Several workers from the various departments who spoke to the press expressed their satisfaction with their current work conditions and discreditted the need for any union activities.

Judith Aggrey of the finance department and a tax management specialist who has been working with KEDA for a year, told newsmen that she appreciates the working environment of the company that provides her with free daily lunch during working hours and free accommodation on the company campus that comes with free utilities. ‘’Besides, I have had salary increases twice within a year, and I can choose to do overtime work for extra money, but it is not compulsory’’.

Von Bismark Bissue, an engineer with Twyford KEDA for seven years, said a workers’ union is totally unnecessary at his department where 362 workers earn their living happily. ‘’For workers challenges we have an HR department that handle these efficiently, so I don’t think our department or company needs any union for any reason’’.

Kismet Baffuor Amissah from the HR department and training and talent management supervisor, has worked six years on his job in the company.

According to him, “KEDA Ghana has been operating in Ghana since 2017’ and the company has complied with the labour law with its direct employees of about 4,100”.

He added, “We have a high satisfaction rate among workers. KEDA has been excellent when it comes to compliance with the labour laws of Ghana and we’ve even won awards for that with many workers welfare benefits such as free lunch, free accommodation, free electricity, free water and free internet”.

He said if some workers want to unionise the company will in no way prevent anyone but KEDA Ghana will not tolerate any external organisation that will use underhand methods or illegal means to penetrate the KEDA work force to obtain information and jeopardise their operations.

Kufour Asamoah, a senior commercial manager said there’s currently no workers union in the company and he does not see any need for it because the company HR department and management have adhered to the labour laws and implemented so many policies to make the workers happy.

‘’Salary adjustments are done twice in a year because the company considers the economic situation of the workers every time. They’re running the company in a way that we the workers do not need any union’’ he insisted.

Asamoah highlighted the company’s policies relating to maternity leave, optional overtime work schedules, regular salary adjustments, safety and security measures and other welfare policies to argue that the working environment all make unionisation needless for the workers of KEDA.

Meanwhile, TWYFORD KEDA is promoting cultural diversity according to Amina from the electrical department. ‘’There is an institution within the company where you can learn Chinese language and become a translator between the Ghanaian workers and the Chinese workers. When you become a translator, you get extra allowance. I speak Chinese but I have never been to China and I earn more salary for that’’, she said, adding, “Also, you know it is not every company that they will provide you with free accommodation, free water, free electricity and free food so we those who work here are really lucky’’.

KEDA, a multi-million dollar manufacturing company is currently constructing additional free residential accommodation for staff on over 10 acres of land around the company premises. The company is one of the largest local producers of tiles and sanitary ceramics and exporting to other African countries, Europe, South and North America.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.