Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1958-01-04
OCTOBER rs, 1857
By KUFI 1E11EEAH
General Secretary Chana T. u. c.
THE AFRICAN MASSES

1t became a necessity that must become accustomed
to western csaton for mutual interest In the process
some of us began realise that certain phases Of western c
saon would fit into way Of e this way Of life being
connected with traditions and customs simultaneously
also we came appreciate that Of Of life
ouandh progress became necessary therefore, to pick
the best Of vsaon and to reject those customs
traditions of which not conducive pro-
gressive growth With this policy uppermost in our minds we
began look the imposition of some ones culture
with and this because want to develop
African way Of doing things.
The condition favourable the growth Of Trade Unions
was in vacuum because the entrepreneu then operating
our country not prepared to embark industrial
policy whatsoever that might nure similar industries in their
So we trade unionists Ghana have since appreciated
that lin point of fact conditions favourable to the establish
and advancement Of trade having the defence OF
material and social interest of the workers their principal am
do not except countries where ndustrasaton has
reached certain level of development On the other hand
the promotion of the idea of trade unionism with
among the workers until the time they themselves
become Of their exploited condition. and the trade
union organisation only the fore when SZeabe
number of workers wake up the fact that without struggle
they cannot escape from their noerabe misery The will to
resist aroused the hard knocks taken their first spona
neous revolts teach them that without permanent
solid organisation their struggle against the employers oppre
hopeless 1t only this state of industrial evolution
and when all these conditions moral and psychological are
present the time that workers respond to the appeal
of the trade union organisation.
We have also learnt from experience that in countries
where the of the population terate trade unionsm
can never become powerful and efficient instrument for the
defence of the interests Of labour.
Ghana essentially agricultural country, but farming
here the fashion the Europe
Farming done by families 1t mans affair excepting
of estates and Government estates There
agricultural could not be expected but
rather large independent producers.
The Government of our country to-day the biggest
EMPLOYER of abou Therefore be said that civil servants
are in the majority labour force The Government
employers absorbed by the mercantile employers and e-
bodies This thus depicts that most OF workers
are clerks and unsklled workers.
With the British pattern of Trade Unonism we have been
organising unions by CART or by employment and
as result mushroom unions did terminate all
the country Some with $4,000 unskiled members
and we SO than 10000 unemplyed in search OF
identical Jobs hanging about These unions OF
consequence from the point of Of numerical strength as
we'll as financial backing.
The National Executive Board of the Ghana Trades
Union Congress of struggle for seldeemina
ton did reflect seriously this adverse situation and thus arrived
at decision reduce absolute minimum these numerous
trade unions of the country his pohcy
has given expression to our present National Unions
We feel that this step not dynamic enough to WELD
compact ressent financial and efficient abour organsa-
ton knowing do that the strength Of trade union hes
ability to limit the supply OF labour to an industry oackco
up BY its power call strike and thereby parayse the industry
If by of its monopostc power can restrict the
number of workers figure insufficient for the proper
working industry the Union position where can
bargain with the employers This policy highly essential IN
order that abou force might be position to combat the
octopus of capitalism with its attendant evils
Ghana known to all the world is small country Win
very small population of about million This circumstance
does not allow for mufarous Unions Therefore, the Stadru
pattern has commended Itself and now that we are IN
position to live life the deem tWe are IN
for change