May Day: Oil workers call for ‘equal pay’

As Ghanaians mark the Workers Day, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union has called on the government to enforce the equal-work for equal-pay sanctioned by the Labour Law.

The Western Regional Relations Officer for the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union, Richard Hanson, speaking to Citi News’ Akwasi Agyei Annim at the May parade in Takoradi said Ghanaian Petroleum workers are still being treated unfairly, despite the local content and the labour laws.

As usual on every May 1st, workers around the world including Ghana parade to draw attention to poor working conditions and welfare.

At the Takoradi Jubilee grounds parade where workers in and around the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis converged, the workers held placards calling for fair wages and better conditions of work.

The Relations Officer of the Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union, Richard Hanson told Citi News that Ghanaian Petroleum workers are unfairly paid for equal work due to non-enforcement of the labour and local content laws.

“As National Union, time and tide again we have advocated for a national salary structure for oil and Gas sector. Off course, this call has fell on the death-ears of the government, but we think that it is something that it is achievable. So we continue to engage the stakeholders to get this salary structure implemented. Not withstanding that, there is also a pronouncement by President Akufo Addo in enforcing Section 68 of the Labour Act, which is about Equal-Work for Equal-Pay.

“So we still want to urge the President that whereas he is calling for Equal-Work for Equal-Pay, it must be a holistic agenda to put Ghanaian workers at-par with the expatriates if they are doing the same work and have the same qualification.”

The Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union, however, want the Petroleum Commission to also enforce its laws to end the invasion by expatriate workers and companies at the downstream Oil  and Gas activities meant for locals

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