Workers with placards expressing their concerns at the 2019 May Day celebration in Accra.
Workers in the country have called on government to review the contract signed between the previous Mahama administration and Meridian Port Services (MPS), which empowers the firm to manage the Tema Harbour for 35 years.
The angry workers defied the morning downpour to register their displeasure with the deal at the Independence Square in Accra during the May Day celebration yesterday.
The workers, most of whom wore red attires, head and arm bands, held placards, some of which read, ‘Nana Save GPHA Now’, ‘No GPHA, No MPS,’ and ‘Can this dubious deal happen in Jordan,’ among others.
Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said the contract was awarded to MPS in 2015 without competitive bidding.
He said MPS would monopolise activities at the Tema Port when it starts operations at the new terminal in June, this year.
“Analysis conducted by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) shows that when the new terminal commences operations in June 2019 with the monopolistic rights given to MPS, GPHA and other operators at the Tema Port are going to lose huge revenues that may lead to the collapse of many container-related businesses,” he said.
Apart from that, the TUC boss said “this will translate into massive job losses in the maritime industry; GPHA may declare over 14,000 workers redundant in 2019 alone.”
“If the contract is not reviewed and MPS commences operations in the new terminal in June 2019, Ghana will surely lose millions of US dollars in revenue in addition to over $800 million granted to MPS in tax concessions as part of this deal.”
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) therefore wants the agreement between government and MPS for the expansion of the Tema Port to be reviewed.
Dr Yaw Baah also raised concerns about the manner in which Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) was managing the country’s pension schemes currently.
He made reference to debt owed the Trust by government in relation to the second tier occupational scheme.
He said “although the government had transferred over GH¢3 billion to public sector second tier in 2018 scheme, it’s a small step in the right direction; government still owes SSNIT and second tier schemes millions, if not billions of Ghana cedis…”
Dr Baah said pension schemes cannot perform effectively if government fails to pay social security contributions for their over 600,000 workers.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent