The management and union of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited have signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement after 12 years of unsuccessful attempts.
The Board of BOST and the Union reached an agreement which has been codified into legal binding document which would be reviewed every two years to capture development in the labour front to ensure conducive working environment.
The BOST Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed by Mr. Ekow Hackman, Board Chairman; Mr. George Mensah Okley, Managing Director on behalf of Board and Management and Mr Abdul Jalil Kwanda, Union Chairman, which was witness by officials from Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU).
Mr Okley said the collective bargaining agreement between BOST and that of the Union has been codified into legal binding document, “I am hopeful that this document will stand the test of time.
“The Board, Management and the Union have exhibited good faith during the process of developing the roadmap for the collective bargaining agreement. We are all committed to work for the interest of the nation.
“I am particularly committed to the welfare of workers and will ensure that we all play our respective roles to ensure that we adhere to the tenets of this document. Our collective efforts would yield to collective prospects”.
Mr Okley noted that “for the first time in 12 years, there is now a staff welfare contract between BOST and its workers. We must continue to build bridges between Board, Management and Staffs, we are in this ship called BOST together, there might be turbulent waters, bad weather, misunderstanding and other reprehensible acts, in all we should not lose sight we are each other’s keeper and together we shall succeed.
Mr. Hackman praised the staff for being loyal to the company, entreating them not to shy away from bringing their concerns to the Board when necessary.
He stressed that “no company is worth dying for if workers’ rights are not protected and promoted”; thus, for this reason, “The Board and Management promised that workers’ rights will be protected at all times, there would be no board or management without workers, so let’s work as a team”.
