Vodafone Dispatches Letters To Staff

MANAGEMENT OF Vodafone Ghana has dispatched lay-off letters to every Tom, Dick and Harry of the company's staff who have been pencilled down for compulsory retrenchment since July this year, CITY&BUSINESS GUIDE has learnt.

Major (rtd) Albert Don Chebe, Director of Corporate Communications, who disclosed this in an interview with this paper yesterday said the letters were sent to about 930 affected workers through their respective managers in all the regions on Wednesday, September 9, 2009.

“Management of the company strictly adhered to the negotiations reached between the erstwhile Ghana Telecommunications (GT) Company Limited and the Communications Workers Union (CWU) of GTUC in a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dated January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009.”

The exercise, being the third to be embarked upon by Vodafone Ghana, brings the total number of retrenched workers to 1,892.

Last week, some 300 members of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) of Vodafone Ghana were reported to have staged a quasi-demonstration at the premises of the company's head office after management met senior staff at a rally.

The rally, described by an executive member of the union whom CITY&BUSINESS GUIDE interviewed as a 'confidence-raising' one, was the fifth to be organized by the union.

Samuel Ohene Kesseku, Chairman of the CWU Vodafone, alleged that management of the company had been exhibiting double standards over the terms it had reached with affected workers on the retrenchment exercise. “Management agrees with us in one breath and does the contrary.”

“Sometimes, a worker would be on trek and then suddenly, he would receive a phone call inviting him to an interview or an exam. Additionally, you could be told you have passed one session, but would be told another. In fact, such things make us restless and ignite fear and uncertainty in our members.”

But Major (rtd) Don Chebe, reacting to the allegations, expressed dismay at the utterances of the union, adding that the union had deliberately refused to honour any invitation extended to them.  

Affected workers would receive 3 months salary for the number of years that they have worked in the organization.

By Samuel Boadi