Revive Aluworks, Neoplan, Volta Star Textiles, PBC Limited - ICU to government

The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) Ghana, in a New Year message, wants the government to pay critical attention to four strategic state-owned institutions in 2024.

It named the four strategic state-owned institutions as Aluworks Ghana Limited, Neoplan Ghana Limited, PBC Limited and Volta Star Textiles Limited.

To ICU, there was the need for the government to inject the needed financial resources into the four institutions to help revive and sustain them.

It said supporting the firms was one progressive way to help those whose jobs were on the line in such organisations.

In a New Year message issued by Morgan Ayawine, the General Secretary of the ICU-Ghana, the union said that would also go a long way to create sustainable employment opportunities for young people.

"ICU-Ghana, therefore, reiterates its special appeal to the social partners, especially government to extend the needed support to the following state-owned enterprises - Aluworks Ghana Limited, Neoplan Ghana Limited, PBC Limited and Volta Star Textiles Limited, since the potential of the huge economic contributions from these institutions to attainment of the country’s rapid socio-economic goals, cannot be overemphasized," it said.

The message said the ICU was very much hopeful that the bailout to the Natioal Investment Bank upon appeal by the Union (ICU-Ghana), would see magnificent results in this new year 2024 and beyond.

"This will surely be a testament of the belief of the union that with dedicated central government support, strategic state-owned enterprises can play their rightful roles in the national development efforts," it said, adding that "it will also give meaning to the advocacy by labour unions for the necessary conditions to be created for sustainable employment opportunities"

It said for employers whose goal was how to bend the rules against workers thereby jeopardizing their future, it would like to urge such employers to reposition themselves so that the labour terrain could be peaceful to engender higher productivity.

Again, it said as the country "prepares to go to the polls this year, 2024, the ICU-Ghana, wishes to encourage all citizens to contribute their quota in maintaining the national cohesion to sustain investor confidence to propel economic growth"

It reminded Ghanaians that a peaceful environment was critical for accelerated growth and that it was the expectation of the union that all stakeholders would unite and strive at all times to sustain the national peace and stability.

That, it said was because no amount of increased productivity could take place in an atmosphere of violence.

"In this regard, the union urges all political actors to conduct their activities devoid on rancour and acrimony, mindful of the fact that the working people can only give of their best in a peaceful society.

"The gallant workers of Ghana have over the years sacrificed for the national interest but it behooves other social partners to play their roles responsibly for the greater good of the country.