USE STRIKES LOCKOUTS JUDICIOUSLY (PAGE 35)

From Emmanuel Modey, Ho

Workers and Management have been advised to use the options of strikes and lockouts judiciously in order not to engender hardships to themselves or work places.
At a two–day seminar on the labour Act 2003 organised by the Ghana Employer’s Association (GEA)at Ho, the Project Manager of GEA, Mr Charles Asante Bempong, urged workers to use strikes and lockouts as the last resorts after passing through all the laid down avenues to seek redress.
The seminar sought to build the capacity of employers and employees in the labour Act 2003 and facilitate an atmosphere of friendly cooperation and mutual understanding at the enterprise level.
Mr Asante Bempong said unfortunately, negotiations are often carried out in an atmosphere of tension and strikes, thus preventing the full utilisation of the communication potentials.
He said the labour Act 2003 affords management the opportunity to explain managerial positions to workers but unfortunately, many management and union staff come to the bargaining table with their minds made up and not in the mood to consider the view points of each other.
Mr Asante Bempong said such misunderstanding of the labour Act results in disharmony and industrial dispute at the enterprise level adding that, "a compromise can resolve only in partial fulfilment of the needs of each party".
"While both parties may emerge completely satisfied or one party may be clearly dissatisfied under this mood, both could at least come to terms to resolve the most immediate issue", he said.
However, he said due to inadequate knowledge and understanding of the law, employee/employer relationship was being seriously eroded, bringing about low morale, low productivity, industrial strikes and lockouts.
On his part, the facilitator of the programme, Mr Joseph Amuah observed that the National Labour Commission recorded 60 labour complaints on monthly basis last year with some misunderstanding leading to serious strike actions.
" A proper understanding of the labour Act”, he said would prevent such strike actions which sometimes become violent and bloody, resulting in loss of lives and property.

CHURCH RAISES GH¢60,000 TO FUND GUEST HOUSE (PAGE 22)

THE Klefe Evangelical Presbyterian Church has realised more than GH¢60,000 at a fund-raising ceremony to climax the centenary celebrations held at Klefe Kpodzi in the Ho Municipality.
The money would be used for the completion of the church’s centenary guest house.
Preaching the sermon on the theme: “I Shall Not Die but Live and Proclaim the Work of the Lord,” the Moderator of the EP Church Ghana, Rt Rev Dr Livingstone Komla Buama, a citizen of the town, said the church was established at Klefe about 100 years ago.
He said with hard work and dedication over the years, Christianity and education were deeply rooted in the area and the result was the production of many prominent people including bankers, doctors, lawyers, military and police officers.
Rt Rev Buama stressed the need for the youth to worship God in sincerity to protect them against poverty, drugs and alcohol abuse, irresponsible parenthood and sexual promiscuity.
For his part, the former moderator of the church, Very Rev J.Y. Ledo, called on Christians to have confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and also love one another and in truth.
“It is by so doing that our proclamation of the works of the Lord will rise up to him,” he said.
Earlier in a welcoming address, the Fiaga of Klefe Traditional Area, Togbe Afele Dzaga X, was happy about the peaceful co-existence of the 10 Christian churches in the town.
He noted that the celebration should mark a new vision for strengthening their Christian values and morals.
“We should do away with outmoded customs, reduce ignorance and poverty and make Klefe a place of peace and development and progress,” Togbe Dzaga said.
He called for the establishment of an education endowment fund to support brilliant, needy children in the area.

52 STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM ASOGLI EDUCATION FUND (PAGE 11, JAN 23)

FIFTY-TWO needy students in the Ho Municipality are benefiting from a GH¢12,911.20 scholarship scheme by the Asogli Education Fund.
The scholarship will enable the students to continue their education to institutions of higher learning in the country.
Thirty of the students will proceed to the polytechnic and university levels, while 22 students will continue to the junior and senior high school levels, as well as technical and vocational institutions.
This was contained in a release issued last Monday and signed by Mr John Kokah, Secretary of the Asogli Education Fund.
The assistance to the students was made possible in fulfilment of a promise made at last year’s Asogli Yam Festival by the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV, to support the fund.
According to the release, 35 of the beneficiaries have already received their cheques worth GH¢8,317.00 whilst the remaining 17 will receive theirs totalling GH¢4,594.20 by the end of January, 2009.
The release said Togbe Afede used the opportunity to advise the students to justify the investment made in their education by studying hard to attain good results, adding that on completion of their courses, they should group themselves into a formidable Asogli Scholars Union to mobilise funds to assist their younger brothers and sisters.
He commended the donors of the amount and hoped that this would facilitate the attainment of the fund’s objective of raising the standard of education in the area and the region as a whole.