Tema Steel to re-open on Monday

Accra (Greater Accra) 1^st Oct. ’99

The factory of the Tema Steel Company is to re-open on Monday, a memorandum of understanding reached between the management of the company and the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress, issued in Accra on Thursday said.

The memorandum signed by the General Secretary of the Union and the Managing Director of the company said they reached the understanding on Thursday in the presence of the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni.

This was the outcome of the Minister's intervention following the closure of the company on 30th August.

It said after deliberating extensively on the causes of the closure, the Management and representatives of ICU agreed that workers would abide by all rules and regulations contained in the conditions of service.

That no salaries/wages would be paid to any worker for the period the factory remained closed.

They agreed that one week after the collective bargaining agreement has been signed, 210,000 cedis would be paid to each worker while the actual salary arrears, which is expected to take five weeks to compute is prepared for the final instalment to be paid in the middle of November 1999.

The two sides agreed that under no circumstances would the workers declare any unilateral action without the approval of the National Union.

The workers agreed to work extra hours without pay to cover production losses amounting to 15000 tons in melting and 1500 tons in rolling incurred on account of a unilateral go-slow action they undertook.

It was agreed that the roster system which enjoins maintenance staff to take their days off on week days while they perform their maintenance duties on weekends shall remain until the Standing Joint Negotiating Committee considers and approves the recommendations of the sub committee on the matter.

The sub committee would be expected to submit its report two weeks from the re-opening of the factory.

The management agreed to deal with the issue of job classification in consultation with the ICU.

The leadership of ICU agreed to hold a general meeting to educate the workers on the agreement for the reopening of the factory and other related matters to create a peaceful industrial atmosphere.

GRi../