The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) has charged management of organisations, to adhere to the provisions in Collective Agreements and the Labour Act, 2003, Act 651, to maintain and sustain harmonious relations at the workplace.

The General Secretary, Morgan Ayawine, also urged workers to be circumspect, sincere and honest in their relationship with management to ensure a harmonious co-existence.

He said such relationship is critical to help achieve organisational goals and also meet the expectations of the workers for better conditions of service and job security.

Mr. Ayawine, was speaking in Accra, at the Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the ICU Local Union of Absa Bank Ghana. The theme for the conference was: “The Bank’s Sustainability, The Union’s Concern.”

The event was also used to swear in new local executives, which was performed by ICU Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations, Emmanuel Benimah. It was witnessed by the ICU Deputy General Secretary in Charge of Administration, Samuel Ananga; the ICU Chief Industrial Relations Officer, Maarku Vondee; among others.

The new executives are Chairman, Daniel Osei Adane; Vice Chairman, William Aboagye; Secretary, Antwi Twum Barimah; Assistant Secretary, Grace Bernice Nkrumah; First Trustee; Kwabena Owusu Bempah and Second Trustee, Kwadwo Barimah. The rest are Executive Member, Stephen Yirenkye; Women's Representative, Stella Baaba Baah and Youth Representative, Kwabena Ohemeng.

The ICU General Secretary, Morgan Ayawine, said, to avoid past mistakes and pre-empt recurring challenges in Union- Management relationship, there is the need for union leaders to tap into the experiences of their predecessors, so that they will learn lessons to guide their relationship with social partners that would impact positively on organisational goals.

Mr. Ayawine said the theme for the conference: “The Bank’s Sustainability, The Union’s Concern” eloquently suggests, the essence and relevance of a union at the workplace, where increased productivity and maximisation of profit for the sustainability of the business that would inure to the mutual benefit of the owners of the business and the workers whose sweat produced the profit.

The ICU General Secretary indicated that the theme for the conference could not have been more appropriate and relevant, considering the new world of work brought about by the emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Mr. Ayawine said the world of work has advanced into an era of industrial democracy and, as such, capital and labour have become equal partners. 

According to him, it is important that one party in the equation cannot and should not impose itself over the other in that equal relationship, but both must collaborate on equal terms, in an atmosphere of give and take, for a sustainable industrial peace, harmony and progress at the workplace.

He charged the new executives of ICU-Ghana Local Union of Absa Bank Ghana, to exhibit leadership in influencing Union-Management relationship positively.