The workshop, attended by 30 members within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality of the Western Region, was also to sensitise them on the Trade Union administration. Participants were taken through topics like; Benefits of Joining Trade Unions; HSWU Structures and Functions; Trade Union Finance and Administration; Meeting terms and Concepts, and introduction to labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).

Other topics included Workmen’s Compensation Law, 1987(PNDCL 187); Occupational Health, Safety and Environment; National Pensions Act 2008 (Act 766), and Compensation of SSNIT Pension under PNDCL 247. Mr Habib Ganiyu, the Principal Health Service Administrator at the Sefwi Wiawso Municipal Hospital, who opened the workshop, commended the HSWU for equipping its members with skills that would enhance their capacity to provide leadership in their various jurisdictions.

He said the programme was in line with contemporary trade unionism where the struggle was more of trading of ideas rather than the former practice of “machoeism” by workers to advocate for their welfare.  Mr Ganiyu called on participants to be proud of the HSWU and endeavour to devote time for it, since the Acts that established Ghana Health Service and Teaching Hospitals recognised the Union and mandate it to be represented on the Management Committee.

Mr Jerry Detse Mensah-Pah, the Senior Industrial Relations Officer responsible for HSWU in the Western Region, said the workshop was a systematic introduction of Union officers to their job, the Union structure and functions as well as key issues pertaining to work in the labour fronts. He said the HSWU recognised that the union officers at the grassroots had peculiar training and development needs and the workshop was part of efforts to fill that gap.

“The focus on specific basic skills on trade union administration permits trade union officers at the branch level to improve upon their performance,” he said.