TOR Workers Warn of Fuel Shortage

Story by: Frederick Asiamah & Ama Achiaa Amankwah
Widespread fuel shortages could hit the nation soon if the Tema Oil Refinery's crude oil stock is not replenished.

Workers of the refinery displayed placards during the march past at Friday's May Day celebrations in Accra to point out that the refinery had run out of crude oil stock. Some of the placards read “TOR NEEDS CRUDE OIL” and “NO CRUDE FOR TOR TO PROCESS.”

Some of the workers told Public Agenda that TOR's predicament was due to the blanket dissolution of all Governing Boards of Government Organisations and Parastatals by President John Evans Atta Mills in January.

Presently, TOR has no Board of Directors in place, meaning purchases of crude oil by management cannot be approved, the workers told Public Agenda.

For them, government could avert the imminent fuel shortages by paying attention to the message “TOR NEEDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS” which they displayed on another placard.

Several sectors could be affected in the face of fuel shortages; and workers will be the principal victims. They will be less productive as many could be confined to their homes because of lack of transportation services, as well as, increased prices of goods and services.

Speaking on behalf of organized labour earlier, Mr. Kofi Asamoah, Secretary-General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), called on the government to restore the End of Service Benefit (ESB) for all workers.

He referred to the recent payment of ex-gratia award to some public servants, which he said is a clear indication of the discrimination and inequality within the public sector.

“Why should some public officials be paid fat ex-gratia awards while others are denied their ESB?” he inquired, stating, “What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

He observed that democratic governance cannot be sustained where large sections of the population live in poverty.

He said if democracy fails to deliver decent work and improved living standards, the people can easily loose confidence in the political system. “Democracy and good governance should be translated into benefits and real improvement in the standard of living of the people.”

He bemoaned that the recent increase in the minimum wage is largely nominal vis-a-vis the rate of depreciation of the Cedi against the major currencies and the current rate of inflation and there is no real gain.

As a result, he said workers are likely to experience a significant fall in real wages this year, which has serious implications for the decent work agenda and the poverty reduction strategy.

In conclusion, Mr. Asamoah stated that the outcome of the general elections last year nearly pushed Ghana to the brink of self-destruction. The experience, he said, calls for a sober reflection on the challenges that were exposed during and immediately after the elections.

He said there is need to put in place measures now to sustain democratic governance.

Responding, President Mills appealed to Ghanaians to “set aside partisanship and deal with real issues.”

He indicated that his government has been restricted by the economic situation which it inherited from the previous administration, as well as the global economic crises.

What the government inherited was “a far cry from what was described as a robust and resilient economy,” President Mills stated.

Despite the challenges, he announced that his administration has and is still taking a number of measures to address the concerns of organized labour indicating that “government views organized labour as an indispensable partner” in development.

He said government will not hesitate to review legislations and agreements to ensure Ghanaians are not shortchanged. “In this regard I have directed a review of the pension's law passed last year,” he revealed.

In addition, he said the government is critically examining all protocols and agreements especially the economic partnership agreements.

Regarding the Governing Boards of Government Organisations and Parastatals, President Mills said the process is ongoing to reconstitute them.

He also assured workers that the single spine salary remains high on the government's agenda.