Industri Energi Norway supports TWU Ghana in Organizing Furniture workers

05 June 2017 22:21

From 22nd to 23rd May a joint mission of BWI and Industri Energi visited Timber and Woodworkers Union – TWU of Ghana for a review meeting on the state of implementation of a o Project named “building bargaining capacity in the FURNITURE industry in GHANA”.

Industri energi was represented by Ole Kristian Paulsen and the BWI by the Regional Education Secretary Garikani Shoko and the Coordinator for West Africa Abdou Karim Ouedraogo.

At 3 months of the launch of the project activities the level of implementation is good as TWU has been able to organize campaigns on 28th April and on May Day with a mass participation of workers and new members.

The Timber Union also initiated a forum for informal and precarious workers with aim to organize informal and temporary workers and service them in the union. More than 50 workers who attended the forum have been recruited in the Union.

A new Company Melgrep an USA-Ghana Partnership Company located at about 45 km on the East of Accra at Prampram road was organized by TWU. The Company is specialize in the production of modern quality cabinets and solid surface worktops as well as civil works. The cabinets and worktops may be used in various places; kitchens, laboratories, washrooms, dispensaries, operating theatres and nursing stations, bank counter tops and work tops for teller cages. Melgrep is employing 45 workers with 4 women and all have joined Timber and Woodworkers Union thanks to the Industri Energi Project.

The union is expecting to negotiate and sign a new CBA with Melgrep by end of the year.