Johnson Senanu Amegashie, General Secretary, Union of Industry, Commerce, and Finance (UNICOF) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, has urged trade unionists to peacefully negotiate for their well-being in the workplace to ensure productivity.

Trade unionism, he noted, had become effective in the contemporary workplace because it employed peaceful negotiations and social dialogue.

Mr Amegashie said this at the inauguration of the National Executive Council of the Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) Union, of UNICOF, in Accra, over the weekend.

Mr Amegashie said Management and Unions needed to hold negotiations in a manner that would foster cooperation and industrial peace.

Madam Faustina Adane, second National Vice Chairperson, UNICOF, inducted the Council members into office.

The programme was on the theme “The Power of Partnership: Management-Union Cooperation, Catalyst for Workplace Harmony and Productivity.”

Mr Amegashie urged the workers to pursue professionalism, and strengthen teamwork and networking to excel in their delivery to their clients.

They should also be innovative and develop sterling products and services to address the needs of their clients.

This would always position the Bank to remain relevant and competitive in the financial space.

Mr Amegashie advised the Management to embrace the contributions of the employees and encourage them to use the appropriate channels, to express their views without intimidation or fear of being victimised.

That situation, he stressed, created an avenue for good corporate governance and the prevalence of industrial peace and harmony, which translated into higher productivity.

“A Management that deliberately restricts its employees from expressing their views does so at the expense of depriving itself of valuable ideas from the staff,” he said.

Madam Esi Wilson, Director, of People and Transformation, CBG, advised the Council members of the Union to work collectively to create the Bank as the most trusted financial institution in the country and beyond.

True leadership, she stated, was achieved through collaboration to meet the vision and mission of the bank.

“Today’s programme is a testament to achieving a shared vision. Let us make CBG a force to be reckoned with in the financial sector,” she advised.

Mr Charles Darko-Okine, Chairman of the Local Union of CBG Workers, UNICOF, said that through the efforts and hard work of members, coupled with prudent management practices, CBG made a profit in the first three years of its operations, after consolidation.

Mr Darko-Okine said the Union would adhere to the mission of the CBG Union to protect and promote the rights of workers and improve working conditions.

He urged management to conduct the second phase of workforce optimisation to address the challenges that were not resolved in the first phase, streamline operations, and improve overall efficiency.

The CBG Union was inaugurated on November 23, 2019, to provide a unified voice for the workers of the Bank in addressing their concerns and advocating the rights of members.

CBG’s sister banking institutions, in a joint fraternal message, urged CBG Union to work hard and improve productivity. “The sustainability of the bank is the sustainability of the worker,” they urged.