The Maritime and Dock Workers’ Union (MDU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has refuted ‘untruths’ being peddled by the Meridian Port Services (MPS) over the Terminal 3 concession agreement.
The MDU, in a release signed by Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, General Secretary, said MPS was using the ‘untruths’ to divert the attention of government and the public from the bad concession agreement.
The union indicated that a particular ‘untruth’ being peddled by MPS related to the engagement of MDU and TUC on the concession agreement.
The statement said MDU of TUC engaged with the management of MPS on the impact of the operations of the Terminal 3 on Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GHPA) and other operators in the Tema Port.
It said when the Union failed to have ‘convincing response’ from the MPS, which included Frank Ebo Brown, Head of Legal Services of MPS, it involved the leadership of TUC Ghana.
“So far the leadership of TUC and the leadership of MDU have jointly engaged the management of GPHA and the Minister of Transport on the concerns of labour on the MPS common agreement,” the statement said.
It further said that when the management of MPS expressed interest in meeting the Secretary General of the TUC, he wholeheartedly agreed to the dates proposed by the management of MPS only for it to give excuses and call off the meetings on two occasions.
“The management of MPS proposed a new date for the third time which was not convenient to the leadership of TUC. It is disingenuous on the part of MPS management and Mr. Fank Ebo Brown to state that the management of MPS tried to reach out to the TUC leadership without success,” it stated.
The MDU indicated that the CEO of MPS, Samara Mohammed had made similar statements in the media.
“We are aware that the management of MPS, led by Mr Frank Ebo Brown, has launched the propaganda and vitriolic attacks on the leadership of MDU, especially the general secretary to the Joint Standing Negotiating committee (JSNC). The meetings are by law defined to focus on negotiating terms and conditions of service of employees and not propaganda and campaigns on concession agreements, which relate to shareholder interests,” the release added.
It called on the management of MPS to have the courage to fully disclose the contents of the concession agreement to the workers.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri