GPHA ex-workers threaten to boycott election

The more than 4000 disgruntled ex-workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) who were retrenched in 2002, have threatened to boycott the 2016 general election if their issues are not critically looked at.

Mr Stephen Ashitey Adjei, Leader of the ex-workers, said it is about time politicians take them serious and address the issues of the poor.

Mr Adjei who is also a constituency executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), recounted the legal processes they have gone through since 2002 to get a befitting severance packages, at a news conference in Tema.

He added that even though they received a handshake of GH₵ 66.60 multiplied by the number of years worked with the Company, they do not consider that as severance pay.

He stated that the ex-workers are living in poverty due to the inability of politicians to take a bold decision for them to receive what was due them.

Mr Adjei explained that their decision not to vote was based on the refusal of President John Dramani Manama, Presidential Candidate of the NDC and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party to help them.

Mr Ashitey observed that just as the two candidates received their ex-gratia after serving in Parliament, they should have ensured that problem of the ex-workers is resolved.

He described as false allegations that the ex-workers were not covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement of the Company.

According to him, they received bonuses, leave allowances, and had staff numbers just like the permanent workers.

He also called on GPHA to stop inflating the number of workers affected by the 2002 restructuring programme as evidence to back their claim that paying them would collapse the Company.

Mr Adjei also known as Moshake, debunked assertions in the media that he was not an ex-worker of the GPHA stating that he worked for three years at the Tema Port serving in the mechanical and civil engineering departments.

Source: GNA