Mr 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 wellbeing in the workplace to ensure productivity.
Trade unionism, he noted, has become effective in the contemporary workplace because it employs peaceful negotiations and social dialogue.
Mr. Amegashie made this statement at the inauguration of the National Executive Council of the Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) Union of UNICOF in Accra over the weekend.
He emphasized the imperative for management and unions to conduct negotiations in a manner that would foster cooperation and industrial peace.
Madam Faustina Adane, the second National Vice Chairperson of UNICOF, inducted the council members into office.
The program was themed “The Power of Partnership: Management-Union Cooperation, Catalyst for Workplace Harmony and Productivity.”
Mr. Amegashie urged the workers to pursue professionalism, strengthen teamwork and networking to excel in their service delivery to clients.
He also encouraged them to be innovative and develop outstanding products and services to meet the needs of their clients, which would always position the bank to remain relevant and competitive in the financial space.
Mr. Amegashie advised management to embrace the contributions of employees and encourage them to use appropriate channels to express their views without intimidation or fear of victimization.
Such a situation, he stressed, creates an avenue for good corporate governance and the prevalence of industrial peace and harmony, which translates 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 at CBG, advised the council members of the union to work collectively to establish the bank as the most trusted financial institution in the country and beyond.
True leadership, she stated, is achieved through collaboration to meet the vision and mission of the bank.
“Today’s program 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 stated that 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 optimization to address the challenges 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 for the rights of members.
CBG’s sister banking institutions, in a joint fraternal message, urged the CBG Union to work diligently and improve productivity. “The sustainability of the bank is the sustainability of the worker,” they urged.