Takoradi petroleum workers denied access to unions
Members of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU) in the Western Region have expressed their frustration over the harassment and maltreatment being meted out to them by foreign oil service companies.
They have, therefore, appealed to the Energy and Petroleum, as well as Employment and Labour Relations Ministries to intervene and help avert imminent clashes.
Mr Francis Sallah, a Senior Industrial Relations Officer of the GTPCWU, said this during an interview with Ghana News Agency in Takoradi on Tuesday.
He said foreign oil service firms in the Region did not want their workers to unionize and any attempt by workers to join a trade union is met with resistance by management of such companies leading to the victimization, intimidation and even dismissal.
Mr Sallah said some companies like a Takoradi-based oil service firm, have refused to sign a verification form to enable the workers in that company to join a trade union.
He said “after several attempts to meet the company to sign the verification forms, we finally met them a month ago on their premises, but they blatantly refused to sign the verification document.
Mr Sallah said Mr Abraham Harrison Afful, one of the leaders of the workers, advocating for unionization of the workers had been dismissed without any tangible reasons.
He said the GTPCWU had petitioned the Labour Department for re-instatement of the dismissed worker and a meeting had been scheduled to resolve the matter.
Mr Sallah said “three weeks ago, a tool got broken and the worker who mistakenly committed this offence has been dismissed without his entitlements being paid”.
He said the labour Department served the General Manager of that oil service firm with a letter, but he refused to attend the meeting.
“Tensions are rising and if the authorities don’t intervene, the whole Takoradi will come to a standstill,” he cautioned.
GTPCWU is one of the 19 labour unions in the Trade Union Congress (TUC) that advocates workers welfare and better service conditions.
Source: GNA
i wonder why foreigners invade this country and do whatever they want as if there is no law governing us. the government must wake up and resolve this issue before it turns into something else.