The Professional and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU) of Tex Styles Ghana Limited (GTP) is angry over the sacking of two Directors and Five senior staff by the underfire Managing Director, the local Union has disclosed.
The affected officers are: Cecil Chinery, Director in Charge of Sales; Kwame Gyau, Director in Charge of Human Relations; the senior officers are: Mr. Joseph Amosah, Plant Manager; Mr. Fred Oduro, Project Manager; Mr. Charles Acheampong, Logistics Manager; Mr. Isaac Atter, Planning and Organizational Manager; and Mr. John Adjei Mensah, Human Resources Manager.
The Reverend Charles Quainoo, Chairman of the GTP Professional and Managerial Staff Union in an interview said letters of termination of appointments were handed over to the six affected staff on Monday, March 28, 2022 when they reported to work.
Rev. Quainoo said the letter of termination which was to take immediate effect on Monday had no stated reason for the action.
He said in addition to the termination of the contract of the seven, there was the presence of armed police officers on the Company’s premises, while their old security personnel had also been replaced with new ones even though their contract had not expired.
He said the entire staff of the company was shocked at the actions of Ms Fatoumata Doro, the Managing Director of the Company, just two working days after Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations visited the factory to have deliberations with management and staff leadership following some agitations.
He called on owners of the Company to intervene in the unfortunate activities happening at the factory to ensure efficient and effective productivity, saying that, even though their mother union, the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) has called for calm among the workers, the local union leaders could not guarantee that if such actions continued.
“The owners should see that this is not the way to go about things, you do not intimidate people and expect them to work well, this will definitely affect production,” he stressed.
The PMSU Chairman further said workers needed to work in a harmonious environment especially when their work involved the use of machinery.
Workers of Tex Styles, producers of GTP and Woodin Fabrics, a month ago embarked on a demonstration at the premises of the factory demanding the sacking of their MD whom they claimed was overspending and have disregarded the Collective Bargaining Agreement of the Company, among other issues.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, February 24, this year staff of the GTP embarked on a demonstration to draw the attention of the Government through the Ministry of Trade and Industry to remove Madam Fatoumata Doro, the Managing Director.
The staff who had red bands on their heads and hands to signify that they are in the combative zone also closed the main entrance of the company which they had decorated with a red calico cloth.
The demonstrating GTP staff also prevented vehicles from entering the company’s premises, a situation that saw a number of cars parked by the roadside and along the median.
Mr. Joseph Kaoletey Kugblenu, Union Chairman for the GTP branch of Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), told the GNA that the main reason for the demonstration was to demand the removal of the MD.
Mr. Kugblenu said even though they were happy to have a female appointed as the MD for the first time in the history of the company, she had refused to consult the union on decisions that might affect workers before sending correspondences to staff.
On Thursday, February 25th, Mr. Baffour Awuah visited the company and called for peaceful labour and industrial relations to ensure that factors of labour focus on the main mandate for production.
He said, in view of recent global developments which has affected the economic market, factors of labour including staff, management, and other stakeholders must work together to reduce disruptions on the labour front.
Mr Baffour Awuah engaged the staff and management in an attempt to resolve disputes which have erupted due to some policy issues.
The Labour Minister whose visit was also to engage the GTP branch of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), stressed the government’s commitment to a peaceful labour front for national development.
