TUC to embark on solidarity action against Sunon Asogli Power over workers’ rights violations
In a move that is likely to reverberate throughout Ghana’s energy sector, the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has announced that it will embark on a massive demonstration on Tuesday, May 9th, in solidarity with the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union (GMWU). The demonstration is aimed at protesting what the unions have described as an abuse of workers’ rights by Sunon Asogli Power Ghana, a Chinese firm.
The action follows the expiry of an ultimatum issued by the unions for the company to reinstate the workers whose contracts were allegedly terminated on the basis that they had joined the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union. The TUC has notified the police in Tema of its intention to undertake the first solidarity action against the Chinese firm.
In a show of determination, the Secretary General of the TUC, Dr Yaw Baah, has urged union members in Tema and Accra to get ready for action on the 9th of May. He added that the unions were sending a clear message to the Chinese company that they cannot come from China to tell Ghanaians what to do in their own country. However, Dr Baah has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to intervene to avert any possible disturbances on the labour front.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Ghana Mineworkers Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, has indicated that the co-founder of Sunon Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, who is also the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, recently expressed his willingness to engage with the union to find a more lasting solution to the matter. Mr Gbana has said that, based on their conversations, they expect Togbe Afede XIV to revert by Monday, May 8th, with an amicable solution to avert the planned demonstration.
However, in its latest press statement dated May 4th, the GMWU has described as factual inaccuracies, misrepresentations and fabrication, a statement put out by Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited captioned, “Sunon Asogli’s position on Matters Relating to Unionisation.”
The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union has stated that it followed all the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate that empowers the union to represent and negotiate with the company on behalf of the workers. “At every material time during the unionisation process, the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union did not only adopt the procedure and approach required by the law, but it also worked collaboratively with regulatory institutions of the state including the Labour Department of Ghana”, the statement added.
The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union and the TUC have made it clear that they will not tolerate employers who suppress and oppress the rights and liberties of workers. “Therefore, if Sunon Asogli finds the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union as ‘arrogant, aggressive and uncompromising’, that is unfortunate,” the statement added.
The demonstration comes at a critical time for the Ghanaian energy sector, which has been grappling with a host of challenges, including electricity supply shortages and tariff hikes. The action by the unions could further disrupt the sector, which has been seeking to attract more foreign investment to boost the country’s economic growth.
It is worth noting that Chinese firms have increasingly become major players in Ghana’s energy sector, with companies such as Sinohydro, China Harbour Engineering Company and CMEC among those that have undertaken projects in the sector. However, their operations have been dogged by accusations of poor labour practices, environmental degradation and corruption.
The demonstration by the TUC and the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union underscores the growing discontent among workers in the sector and raises questions about the role of foreign investors in the country.
