The ex-workers protesting around the GPHA headquarters
SOME DISGRUNTLED ex-workers of the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority (GPHA) who embarked on voluntary retirement in 2002 have threatened to take the law into their hands to fight for their right.
They were of the view that until their right gratuities are paid to them they will disrupt the upcoming general elections.
The workers wielding placards with inscriptions some of which read; ‘Pay us our money,’ ‘The 14 years of waiting is over’, ‘We are dying Mr. President’, ‘Corruption is a high risk venture Mr. President’, Too much corruption at GPHA, ‘Georgina Woode please look at our matter’ among others, had given the government by the close of coming Monday to initiate the payment of their retirement benefits.
This GPHA retirees numbering over 200 issued the threat when they stormed the headquarters of the GPHA in Tema on Thursday dawn to demand the payment of their gratuities.
Mr. Laud Nsiah Laryea, spokesman for the GPHA ex-workers noted that somewhere in the year 2002, management of GPHA embarked on a World Bank Funded Project dubbed ‘Voluntary Retirement Exercise’ to restructure the port.
He said some 5695 both staff and non staff opted for the voluntary retirement programme. The spokesman continued that they (the voluntary retirees) were paid their benefits but upon carefully calculating their total emoluments including two bags of rice, two bags of sugar and a gallon of cooking oil on July 30, 2002, they detected that management of GPHA has shortchanged them.
“As civil and law abiding citizens of this country, we took legal actions against the company in 2003 and we won all the cases throughout the various courts; but GPHA management has refused to pay what is rightfully due us.”
“We are therefore by this memo demanding with immediate effect the rightful payment of our benefits so as to repress the annihilation agenda machinated by the former GPHA management led by Ben Owusu Mensah, Nestor P. Galley, Kojo Adansi Bonnah and Richard John Deih,” he stressed.
The Administration Manager of GPHA, Mr. Kumi Adjei Sam who received the petition on behalf of the company promised to ensure that the necessary action is taken.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema