From Inusa Musah, Tema. About 500 dismissed workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), yesterday, invaded the headquarters of the Authority to press home their redundancy benefits. The group, led by Laud Nsiah Laryea, said the fight for the payment of the benefits for the dismissed workers, numbering about 3,000, started in 2002 […]
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From Inusa Musah, Tema.
About 500 dismissed workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), yesterday, invaded the headquarters of the Authority to press home their redundancy benefits.
The group, led by Laud Nsiah Laryea, said the fight for the payment of the benefits for the dismissed workers, numbering about 3,000, started in 2002 when the GPHA retrenched them.
He said several discussions between the GPHA and the leadership of the dismissed workers to get the former pay them their retrenchment package had been unsuccessful.
Laud Laryea said they had been demanding their benefits in a gentle approach, but having realised that this had not yielded them any positive outcome, their next move was to invade the GPHA premises.
The angry ex-workers, most of them donning red dresses and red arm bands and carrying placards with ‘wild’ inscriptions, chanted as police personnel deployed from the Tema Regional headquarters looked on.
Addressing the media, Mr. Laryea said: “My colleagues and I were forced to retire in 2002 and we are aware the World Bank gave our huge redundancy benefits to the management of the GPHA to see us off, but as I speak with you, only five of the beneficiaries have been paid. How about the rest of us?”
Laud Nsiah Laryeah said they would picket at the premises of the GPHA on Monday and Tuesday, should the authority continue to hold back their benefits.
He said times have been difficult for the ex-workers, adding that the situation had either killed some of his colleagues or rendered others bedridden.
“We are motivated to fight for the suffering of the majority of our colleagues because we have been suffering for the past 14 years since we were forced to retire.
“We are aware Nigeria and Cote D’Iviore paid good redundancy packages to their ex-workers after the World Bank gave their money in the same year. Why has our management dealt unfairly with us since 2002?”
He said the group would picket at the premises of the World Bank if they failed to come out to instruct their former employer to release their money to them.
“We have suffered for far too long and we think time is now to push harder and harder for what is rightfully ours,” Laud Laryea indicated.
He later presented their petition to Adjei Sam, a management member of GPHA, who promised to forward their letter to the top hierarchy of the GPHA.
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