Unionists call for provision of working tools

The Ghana Highway Authority Divisional Union of the Building Materials Workers Union (BMWU) has called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to revamp its mobile maintenance units by providing tools to ensure safe, reliable and quality maintenance. A communiqu� issued at the end of a three-day delegates' conference said most of the equipment for maintenance work on ferries and bridges were broken down and something should be done about it. The Union called for human resource development policies to be put in place. The Communiqu� said to enable staff members to be punctual to work, loans should be given for the purchase of bicycles, motor bikes and cars. The workers said they would also need identity cards which management discontinued since 1990, payment of funeral grants and other allowances. The conference was under the theme: "Using the Decent Work Agenda to Achieve Ghana's Infrastructural Goals". Mr Pius K. Quainoo, General Secretary of BMWU, appealed to the Minister of Roads and Highways to liaise with the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to mandate the authority to speed up the conclusion of negotiations stalled for more than two years on the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He urged the divisional union to activate the branch to be able to deliver quality service to the authority and the nation at large. Mr Quainoo charged the conference to help address some of the problems confronting workers which included, "insecurity of work, worsening terms of employment and apathy on the part of members".