Security persons vacate NLA offices
Security personnel contracted by the National Lottery Authority (NLA) through Prestige Link Security to provide security for its offices have vacated post at the NLA Northern Regional Office and residence in Tamale because of poor working conditions.
The personnel who had embarked on the industrial action since last week Thursday said, since their engagement over three years ago, management of Prestige had not given them appointment letters, coupled with delayed payment of salaries, sometimes up to three months in arrears, and no logistics such as torch lights, protective shoes to enhance their work.
The personnel raised the concerns in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Monday.
Mr Abukari Yussif, Supervisor of Prestige Link Security in Northern Region said the strike had come as a result of some other pressing issues such as the company’s inability to pay them social security and deduct tax to the state, saying, “Ever since the company engaged us in 2010, we have never got a regular salary, no appointment letters for us and I think we need to benefit from social security and also we should be captured on the country’s tax net”.
Mr Yussif said anytime they complained about the undue delay in the salaries and the non contribution of social security as well as absence of appointment letters, Chief Executive of Prestige, Mr Frank Louis threatens to terminate their appointment and to recruit new persons.
He said because of their current strike, the Chief Executive promised to issue them with appointment letters beginning from January 2014 renewable every four months, an arrangement he declined and that working for about four years now, their mode of work and character should not be questionable.
Mr Gershon Dzirasa, Northern Regional Manager of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), expressed regret about the strike and that on the interim, some persons had been contacted to offer security, while awaiting Prestige to resolve its issues.
Mr Dzirasa said, NLA had consistently on the beginning of every month paid Prestige to be able to settle its workers and expressed regret that workers were complaining about delays in their salaries and that he was in contact with his superiors in NLA Accra to take the next line of action.
Mr Frank Louis, Chief Executive of Prestige Link Security said every company including the Ghana government had problems with its payment system and that what was confronting him was administrative problems and would be corrected.
He told the GNA that as a private company, issuing appointment letters to its workers was optional since some were casual workers but he could not tell whether those engaged in the Northern Regional were casual or permanent workers.
He said he must even be commended for being able to provide jobs in the country and as to whether he was paying them regularly or not was no business of journalists and that with the social security contribution he said the workers did not provide him with the social security numbers even though he told them to do so.
Prestige Link Security is a limited liability, which provides professional security services to companies, banks, escort duties, hotels, schools and other social gatherings throughout the country.
Source: GNA