Ghana Airways Workers gives ultimatum

[Gunship]

Amazing how they still hope and believe in "their airline" ... defunct a long time ago but nice cars parked outside the building all the time ... :E

Workers of the defunct Ghana Airways have given government a one-week ultimatum, to address the issues concerning their severance package, or else call on the National Labour Commission (NLC) to take legal action against them.

The workers had earlier threatened legal action to stall the liquidation process of the airline. The collective bargaining agreement stipulates that the workers must be compensated in the event of the company folding up. The Chairman of the Unionized Workers of the airline, Mr Alex Coffie, in an interview stated that the government‘s decision to choose a liquidator right after choosing a mediator was contemptuous.

Mr Coffie added that even though the union, with the assistance of the Labour Commission intends to drag the government to court, it may not be able to subpoena government to respond to their requests, since the Labour Commission was formed by the government.

However, Mr Ato Conduah, a consultant of the Senior Staff Workers of the Airline, says that the NLC still has the power to halt the liquidation process, if the government fails to respond appropriately to their request. Mr Conduah noted that if the Commission fails to halt the process when necessary, it would have failed to live up to expectation.

[gen3]

"...but nice cars parked outside the building all the time .."

Gunss, your point, exactly??????? I believe that there were some good guys in there who bent over backwards to get things moving. It's really unfortunate that all should be bunched up like they are now and suffer the consequencies.

I believe you've heard several allegations about corruption in that airline, maybe you might even have some evidence but your statement above is rather disappointing :sad: . Remember that those cars might not necessarily belong to staff only - if that is what you mean - passengers also used to purchase tickets from the office!

gen3

[Gunship]

Well mate maybe I have it wrong then ... if an Airline is in Liquidity (look at today's newspapers) how can they sell tickets ??? So where does there pax come from with nice cars ???

I have worked with WONDERFUL, EXPERIENCED ex- Ghana Airways staff, but I have also encountered the most corrupt systems in West Africa (beating Sierra Leone / Liberia and Guinea as a few to mention).

Then again they are still clinging to nothing (and not get paid) so if I look for school fees and food on the table - maybe I would have done the same mate ...

Hope you undestand my point. In Short again - in 6 months I have met some of the best operators in the airline business and that in Ghana ... with exceptions as numerously quoted.

http://www.graphicghana.info/article.asp?artid=7222

The official liquidator of the country’s distressed airline,Ghana Airways,Mr J.Harley,has stated that the process of liquidating the company will be fast-tracked to ensure that work on the exercise is completed by the end of the year.

He said a team was presently working around the clock to ensure that work was completed on time on the state of the company before any financial commitments were made.

In an interview,Mr Harley,who is also the Chief State Attorney at the Registrar General’s Department,said a meeting between the official liquidator and the workers was being scheduled to inform them about the processes involved in the exercise.

Workers of Ghana Airways, at a news conference yesterday, called on the government to return to the negotiating table with them to finalise their severance package without further delay.

They also called on the government to pay their salaries, which had been in arrears since February this year.
Mr Harley said the plight of the workers had been taken into consideration “but we need to complete this process before we can know the balance,whether negative or positive, and before we make any pronouncement as far as the payment of any entitlement is concerned”.

The need for the government,the sole shareholder of Ghana Airways, to liquidate it arose as a result of the airline’s inability to meet its obligations to its creditors, resulting in its current state of bankruptcy.
Presently, the airline is indebted to the tune of more than $160 million.

Mr Harley said he,as the official liquidator, had taken into consideration the number of years that most of the workers had served the airline and was,therefore, moved by their plight to ensure that the process was completed on time to settle them once and for all.

On his part,the Chairman of the Management Task Force of the airline,Mr G.A. Mate Azu,said it had always been the desire of the government to get the negotiations completed on time.

He said dialogue was the best means to reach an amicable settlement of any form of grievance and commended the workers for their preparedness to return to the negotiating table.

[gen3]

I hear you, Gunss, and thanks again for the article. No need to highlight the total amount of indebtedness. This has been splashed all over the internet, with varying amounts quoted almost every time.

Well, it's over now.

gen3 :sad:

[Gunship]

No problems mate - your obviously a once - proud Ghana Airways staff member ?

Send me a PM - let 's see if I can help ? (if needed)

Cheers,

Gunss

[Gunship]

The National Labour Commission (NLC) is facilitating a meeting scheduled for next Wednesday between the official liquidator of Ghana Airways and representatives of the former employees of the airline to resolve issues on their severance package.

Negotiations on the severance package for the ex-workers had run into a dispute, compelling the workers to seek a relief from the NLC.

A statement signed by the acting executive secretary of the NLC, Mr J. K. Bapuuroh, and issued in Accra, said on June 2, 2005, the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GRPCWU) and the Union of Commerce, Industry and Finance Workers (UNICOF), representing the workers, notified the commission that their negotiations with the government task force (GTF) on Ghana Airways since November 25, 2004, had run into a deadlock.

It said the two parties failed to agree on issues relating to the level of the severance pay and cut-off date, outstanding leave commuted to cash, long service award and salaries. The workers therefore requested the commission to assist the parties with a mediator for the settlement of the outstanding issues.

Link (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=87533)