Sofoline-Abuakwa Interchange to be delayed
Government's determination to see the early completion of the construction of the Sofoline-Abuakwa dual-carriage road is likely to hit the rocks, as workers of China Geo-Engineering Corporation, the construction company working on the project have refused to return to duty until management addresses their request for good working conditions.
The aggrieved Ghanaian workers, embarked on a sit down strike last week bringing the work to a halt.
According to them, though the strike could impede the date for the completion of the 75 million dollar contract, they had to take the action to register their protest to the management.
Speaking in an interview, the Chairman of the Local Workers Union, Mr. Samuel Kweku Larbi, noted that most of the workers have been with the construction company for about two years but did not know their status there.
He said the management ignored them when they submitted the Collective Bargaining Agreement and continued to maltreat them.
“They don't want to give us our appointment letters because they know what they are doing.
They said there is no work and we will starve if we leave the company so they will not sign the agreement, whoever was not satisfied with the treatment can leave or would be dismissed if found challenging management,” he said.
According to the chairman, they had not been provided with safety gadgets yet whoever got hurt in the course of work was expected to report to duty or face deductions from their meager wages.
He said some of their colleagues were asked to leave the company after having been with them for one year because their services are no longer needed, bringing to futility their service to the company and the nation.
“And this is without any benefits because they are not permanent workers, can you imagine? He queried.
They are being marked meager wages of between GH¢3 and GH¢4 for 24 whole hours amounting to about GH¢150 a month.
“These Chinese people think they can take us for granted and do whatever they like to us, anytime we try to demand for our appointment letters, they either threaten to sack us or humiliate us”, one of the Ghanaian workers bemoaned, adding “even apart from this issue of appointment letters, these Chinese treat us like slaves, the relationship between we the Ghanaian workers and them is very unhealthy.”
“Even when one of them who came from China heard the wages his people paid to us he laughed, because it was too small”, another worker said.
The workers also want their salaries to be channeled through the bank in order for them to access loans.
They say the situation whereby their salaries are given to them by hand was not only demeaning, but more importantly prevented them from cultivating the habit of savings.
However, the resident Engineer Frank Boampong disclosed that management was in talks with the union leaders to find amicable resolution to the issue.
He said the company would even find it prudent to channel workers salaries through the bank and would make sure all these were provided as soon as possible.
Mr. Boampong further said most of the appointment letters were ready and they had started issuing them to the workers.
He also stated that though they agree to the Collective Bargaining Agreement which states among others that a worker qualified for end-of -service benefit, however the controversy is as to when the one year should start.