The Tema District Council of the Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) has expressed grave concern about the persistent harassment and assault of its members at the Tema Shipyard by members of the Ports Seamen Maritime and Dockers Union (PSMDU).
According to the Union, the bad blood brewing between them and members of the Ports Seamen Maritime and Dockers Union is seriously affecting work at the shipyard.
“We express deep concern that the threats, intimidation's and assaults of our members at PSC Tema Shipyard by the members of PSMDU are creating unsafe working environment where our members leave in constant fear,” the MDU has stated.
The union alleged that on 18 th November, 2016, two of its members, Brother Faruk Abdul Razak and Brother Abubakar Salifu, were violently hauled out of the PSC Tema Shipyard by leaders and members of PSMDU simply because they had openly declared that they are members of MDU.
“Sadly, no disciplinary action has been taken by the management of PSC Tema Shipyard against the perpetrators of this shameful action.
There had been occasions where cases of threats and intimidations of MDU members by PSMDU members have been reported to the management of PSC Tema Shipyard, but the management of the company did not take any steps to investigate such serious infractions of company rules for appropriate disciplinary actions to be taken against the offending workers”.
Tema District Council of the Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union in a resolution adopted at its recent general meeting are thus calling on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to, as a matter of urgency, relieve Captain Francis K. B. Micah, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of PSC Tema Shipyard and Mr Samuel A. N. Adjar, the Admin& Estate Officer of PSC Tema Shipyard of their positions and “appoint people who would be able to restore unity, discipline and trust among the employees to achieve high labour productivity”.
They accused the management of PSC Tema Shipyard of being “actors in the trade union rivalry in the company and actively fanning the conflict to the detriment of productivity and safe working environment”
The Union also resolved that the case of alleged assault of their members by some leaders and members of PSMDU be thoroughly investigated and the offenders punished in accordance with the rules of the company and the laws of Ghana.
“We call on all workers and well-meaning Ghanaians to condemn the violent actions of PSMDU members against their colleague workers who are members of MDU and the inability of the management of PSC Tema Shipyard to protect all workers in the company”.
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