NLA Boss Accused Of Intimidating Unionized Staff, NLC Petitioned

The Financial and Business Workers Union has petitioned the National Labour Commission (NLC) to call the Director General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Kofi Osei Ameyaw to order, alleging that the latter is intimidating unionized staff at the state institution.

The group has consequently rescinded its decision to halt its intended strike action due to this alleged intimidation and inducement by the NLA boss.

“We write to inform you of our intention to rescind our decision not to embark on the strike action against the management of the National Lottery Authority with immediate effect.

“This latest decision though unfortunate has been necessitated by some decisions and actions been taken against some of our Unionised members by the Director-General of the National Lottery Authority to dismember our Union in favour of their preferred Union (ICU)” the renowned labour group stated in a letter  dated December 16, 2019 and addressed to the NLC.

The labour group further alleged that the management of the National Lottery Authority led by Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw has engaged various acts of intimidation, threats of dismissals and mass transfers of all the Unionised members in Leadership and other acts of altering the employment status of some workers to induce them to refrain from becoming members our union.

“It is on record that immediately after the National Labour Commission gave the Directive on the 24th of April 2019 to both the Union and the management of NLA to engage and finalise the Process leading to the signing of the SNC Constitution, the management of NLA directed some Executives of the welfare including the Chairman  Anthony Twumasi-Oti, the Secretary Beatrice Tsahay, George Osei Akoto, and Oswald Awunor to embark on an outreach program /campaign throughout the various regional branches to force the already unionized workers to join the ICU,” it further alleged.

According to the group, the decision and actions by the Management of the NLA to interfere in any unionization process and more importantly with a financial support for what has been termed sensitization outreach program and was started on Thursday the 12th of December 2019 from Sunyani, Sewhi Dwenasi and Friday the 13th of December in Kumasi constitute an unfair labour practice and in contravention with Sections 127 and 128of the Labour ACT2003 (ACT651) 

Below is the full letter sent to the NLC

The Chairman, 

National Labour Commission,

Accra,

Dear Sir,

RE: NOTICE TO EMBARK ON STRIKE ACTION AGAINST THE NATIONAL LOTTERY AUTHORITY

We write to inform you of our intention to rescind our decision not to embark on the strike action against the management of the National Lottery Authority with immediate effect.

This latest decision though unfortunate has been necessitated by some decisions and actions been taken against some of our Unionised members by the Director-General of the National Lottery Authority to dismember our Union in favour of their preferred Union (ICU). 

The management of the National Lottery Authority led by Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw has engaged various acts of intimidation, threats of dismissals and mass transfers of all the Unionized members in Leadership and other acts of altering the employment status of some workers to induce them to refrain from becoming members our union.

It is on record that immediately after the National Labour Commission gave the Directive on the 24th of April 2019 to both the Union and the management of NLA to engage and finalise the Process leading to the signing of the SNC Constitution, the management of NLA directed some Executives of the welfare including the Chairman  Anthony Twumasi-Oti, the Secretary Beatrice Tsahay, George Osei Akoto, and Oswald Awunor to embark on an outreach program /campaign throughout the various regional branches to force the already unionized workers to join the ICU.

This decision and actions by the Management of the NLA to interfere in any unionization process and more importantly with a financial support for what has been termed sensitization outreach program and was started on Thursday the 12th of December 2019 from Sunyani, Sewhi Dwenasi and Friday the 13th of December in Kumasi constitute an unfair labour practice and in contravention with Sections 127 and 128of the Labour ACT2003 (ACT651) 

Indeed it was as a result of a disagreement between the representative of the Union and the welfare members and refusal by the Unionized members FBSEU in the Ashanti Region to be coerced to join the ICU at one of the meetings which has become the only reason for this mass transfer of the leadership of the Local Union by the management of the NLA.

Consequently, we are by this letter respectfully requesting your intervention and an immediate suspension of this ill motive mass transfer to avert any further disruption of the operations of activities at the NLA.

Furthermore, we wish to indicate that we are sending a letter of intent to the GT. Accra Regional Police Command of our decision to embark on a demonstration against the Director-General of the Authority and the Management of the NLA as a sign of our disapproval to the intimidation of our members, the approval by the D.G to dole out a whopping amount of GHs30,000 to a handful of welfare members to dismember our local union and above all the non-compliance to the directives of the NLC.

We count on your best understanding in this regard.

I remain