The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), Ghana has held its maiden Regional Consultative Council Executive Committee of the Rural and Community Banks, Professionals and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU) congress in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.
Seven officers drawn from Rural and Community Banks operating in the Northern Region were duly elected with Osman Ali as the regional Chairman.
In a Citi News interview, the newly elected Chairman Osman Ali kicked against some financial institutions’ engagement of personnel on contracts beyond six months.
[contextly_sidebar id=”w7sIj87RzIZQxAj09BemCnL1srxMFMEc”]According to him, the exploitation of personnel, which is characteristic of Rural and Community Banks operating in the country is a clear violation of their fundamental human rights.
He therefore called for the incorporation of all contracted personnel who have worked with banks over six months.
Osman Ali served notice of his administration’s commitment to embark on a vigorous campaign to ensure that Rural and Community Banks subscribed to the nation’s Labour Laws.
“Contractualization and casualization has become another issue which we have identified where people are being contracted for over six months without being considered as permanent staff: you see some organizations still doing because of lack of job opportunities, they find a way of taking advantage of that to keep people on contract which the union is intended to fight against.”
He maintained that Council will zealously safeguard the civil liberties of all members of the ICU, Ghana.
“Another bigger challenge that we are facing as a union that we have also come to realize is people are not following laid down procedures when it has to do with labour issues: Management as it were sometimes take arbitrary decisions and dismiss people which we are intended to fight against,” Osman Ali remarked.
“We have over the time realized that workers have been denied their rights: these days you hear in other organizations that individuals have been dismissed just because people don’t know what their rights are,” he stated.
Osman Ali also admonished personnel to refrain from dubious acts which contributed to the liquidation of some Rural and Community Banks.
“As leaders of this council, we will advise members to be committed to their duties and ensure that they are actually distanced from creating problems that will lead to the collapse of the banks such as fraud or doing anything untoward that will lead to the collapse of the bank.”
The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), Ghana, Deputy General Secretary (Operations), Morgan Ayarwine said the Union was in the process of completing the formation of the Regional Consultative Council Executive Committees.”
This, according to him will pave way for the establishment of the National Consultative Council of Rural and Community Banks.
“It is the desire of the ICU to exemplify its leadership qualities by ensuring that unionized workers in the financial sector of the economy continue to play their yeoman’s role in the socio-economic development of the country.”
He added, “As our members go through a debilitating economic hardship, it is our hope that the association of Rural and Community Banks will consider a better deal for our hard working members when the upcoming collective bargaining negotiation commences.”
Morgan Ayarwine impressed upon the newly elected leadership of the Northern Regional Consultative Council Executive Committee to avoid dictatorship during the discharge of their core mandate.
“I urge the newly elected leadership of the PMSU at the Regional Consultative Council level to serve members but not to lord it over them.”
He further encouraged staff of Rural and Community Banks to readjust to the competitive nature of that sector.
“In our era of competition such as this, staff of the Rural and Community Banks must rededicate themselves and work to increase productivity.”
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana