Another load shedding beckons as GRIDCO workers plan strike

The acute energy crisis currently facing the country may linger on for some time as workers of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO), one of the companies in Ghana’s energy supply chains, has threatened to embark on a strike action over salary matters.

Reliable information picked up by the Al-Hajj indicates that a section of the company’s staff, mainly made up of junior staff have decided to vent their anger at management following the latter’s failure to comply with the outcome of a series of salary negotiations held since the beginning of the year.

As a result of this situation, the workers have adopted all kinds of methods to register their displeasure over the manner in which management was handling the case.

A source at GRIDCO who spoke to The Al-Hajj on condition of anonymity noted that any time workers wanted to demonstrate against the lackluster attitude of management, they (management) would quickly jump in with promises to address the matter; promises they say have all turned out to be mere lip service.

The sources recounted a number of occasions when the workers decided to hit the streets, but were persuaded by management to rescind their decision.

Information gathered by this paper suggests that it took the intervention of some high profile personalities to stop them from embarking on a well-planned demonstration when President John Dramani Mahama visited the facility earlier this year.

This paper was also informed by the source that another demonstration that was scheduled to take place at the venue grounds of this year’s May Day ceremony in Accra was foiled by management on the notion that it will soil the image of the company.

The source said the main reason why the intended demonstration was halted was that, the Chief Executive Officer the company, Mr. Charles Darko, was going to receive an award at the May Day ceremony grounds.

Matters, however, reached a zenith point when the aggrieved workers could no longer hold back their anger and decided to lock up management in their office in the cause of a meeting and furiously threatened to refuse them exit unless their demand for a salary increase were met, the source further revealed.

“Sensing danger, the management quickly organized a meeting with the staff and explained to them that the major reason why their demand had not been met was simply because the company had run out of cash but promised that plans were far advanced for the problem to be addressed,” the source noted.

The workers, according to the source, have vowed not to accept any explanation until they had been provided with the financial statement of the company, to enable them ascertain the truth of the claim, a demand management complied with.

Confirming the information, a staff of the company who pleaded for strict anonymity accused management of what was referred to as ‘misplaced priorities’ on the part of management, adding that: “the only thing they know is to buy a fleet of cars which are mostly not used.”

The GRIDCO employee wondered whether the company could defend any demand for tariff increase in the face of this wanton purchasing of cars while the basic needs of workers are not attended to.

For now, the fate of the demands being made by the workers is in limbo as the substantive CEO of the company, Mr. Charles Darko, is in transition to Tullow Ghana.

The threat by the workers to strike if allowed may spell doom for the country in view of the role they play in the provision of electricity in the country.

Attempt to reach the GRIDCO management for their reaction as at press time proved futile.