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Worker unions not troublemakers – JUSAG to employers
Employers and management of private and public institutions have been urged to respect and support worker unions instead of seeing them as trouble markers, according to the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG).
According to the association, a strong workers union in any organisation is rather a complement and when supported constitutes a strong support base for productivity and growth.
Alex Nartey, the president of JUSAG who made this call at the opening of the 1st Quadrenniel Delegates Conference ongoing in Ho said, “Unions should not be seen as trouble makers.”
“It must be announced here today (Tuesday, August 2) for the attention of all employers both private and public that a strong workers union in any organisation or work environment is rather a complement which when supported Constitute a strong support base for productivity and growth.
“Unions should not be seen as trouble makers,” but “We only demand reason, fair-play and recognition of our rights and contributions, a benefit that no employer must struggle for.”
He added that, “Employers must know that workers are always ready to be fair in our demands and give respect to whoever respect is due.”
“Demand for respect at the work place must be balanced, bearing in mind that, employees are also deserving of dignity,” Mr. Nartey noted.
HR, Judicial Secretary office questioned
The JUSAG president whose two terms is coming to an end accused the Human Resource (HR) and the office of the Judicial Secretary (JS) for what he described as “poor handling of staff promotions.”
“We would like to appeal to government and management to always handle issues that affect our conditions and welfare with the needed urgency.
“One of the concerns among the staff presently is the poor way a section of management (HR and JS) has handled promotion in spite of how clear our condition of service is,” he bemoaned.
According to him, “staff do not retire on our salaries, we retire on our ranks or grades. Promotion must be seen as the life of the staff.”
Caution to politicians
Mr Nartey also called for the Judiciary to he criticised constructively but not being run down by politicians, adding that, any attack on the Judiciary is an attack on the nation.
“The role of JUSAG is not only to seek the welfare of our members. One of our key functions is to protect the Judiciary and support same to discharge on its mandate. This means that any action or conduct by any individual or institution that seeks to undermine the Judiciary must be resisted by JUSAG on behalf of Ghanaians.
“It is for this reason that, we take this opportunity to caution and advise the section of politicians who have taken to running down the Judiciary to desist from that. The Judiciary is not immune to criticism but it must not be politicized”.
He explained that, “The constitution prescribes the means by which erring Judicial officers must be sanctioned.
“Politicians must know these methods and avoid running down such an important arm of government without which we cannot govern ourselves”.
JUSAG €55M Multi-purpose Hostels
While bringing his two-terms of seven years to an end, he said, leadership is about ensuring the wellbeing of the people and wealth creation for sustainable growth and development.
“I am happy that at the end of my tenure, no member of our association who is sincere can look in our faces to say that we have failed to achieve this among the numerous interventions we have instituted to support the welfare of our members, we have unprecedentedly secured over 55 million Euros to commence the construction of JUSAG Multi-purpose Hostels at Abokobi in Accra.
The project he said has been handed over to the contractor Greencity Housing and their partners to execute.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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