Tema Shipyard workers call for merger with GPHA

Workers of the Tema Shipyard Association are calling on President John Dramani Mahama, to as a matter of urgency merge the management of the facility with that of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).

This according to them is the only way to make the Tema Shipyard viable and profitable.

“GPHA has an engineering background coupled with rich experience in the maritime industry so it will be a perfect idea to handover the management of the Tema Shipyard to the management of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.”

Addressing the media in Tema, the acting chairman of the Senior Staff Association, Christian Dogbey, noted that it has become necessary for the facility to be transferred to the GPHA due to the mismanagement of the Shipyard by successive managements.

Mr. Dogbey noted that “the MDU lacks knowledge about the Shipyard they claim they superintendent over and or the MDU does not have the interest of the Shipyard at heart hence running it down.”

Mr. Dogbey emphasized that in order to achieve the vision of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who established the Tema Shipyard, GPHA must be given the opportunity to manage the yard since it has the financial strength to do so.

Among other things, the workers claim that high tariffs been imposed on clients and some bad policies initiated by management is killing the business at the Tema Shipyard.

“We think that the woes of Tema Shipyard is borne out of the fact that management has come out with unfavourable conditions which are pushing clients to neighbouring countries for maintenance; for instance management has passed a policy which requires prospective clients to deposit a hundred percent payment before their vessels are maintained and this is putting them off hence relocating to Togo, Senegal among other neighbouring countries.”

Mr. Dogbey noted that for instance in 2013, the Tema Shipyard with the same number of workforce, maintained about 52 vessels whilst under this current management, only 18 vessels have since been maintained.

He added that the Tema Shipyard has been totally run down to the extent that, they have to borrow equipment from a different company before undertaking some maintenance works in recent times.

“As we speak, we need about one hundred million dollars to revamp the facility and we cannot raise the money because investors are not coming to invest with us.”

Remove Tema Shipyard CEO
The acting Chairman also called for the removal of the current Chief Executive Officer, and also appealed to the Trades Ministry to reinstate some two dismissed workers.

He said they have given government up to next week to address their problems and commence processes for the merger or face their wrath.

“We are calm for now because of the BNI and the National Security who have advised us not to demonstrate again for now; but we will revert back to our old plans if nothing is heard from government by next week,”he added.

A worker told Citi News; “yes; I am really in favour of the merger with the GPHA because we know GPHA has what it takes to manage our facility and make it profitable and viable.”

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By: Elvis Washington/citifmonline.com/Ghana