Cocoa porters demonstrate over poor salaries

Beahu (W/R), Nov. 14, GNA – About 700 cocoa porters at the Cocoa Commodity Village at Beahu in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region have demonstrated against the Cocoa Marketing Board for the payment of poor allowances.

They said the money paid them was not commensurate with the work they do hence their resolve to go on demonstration.

Speaking to the GNA in an interview, Mr Kwasi Kwakye, a cocoa porter, said a gang of 16 carry 288 cocoa bags per day and each person is paid only GH¢ 13 per day.

He pleaded with the authorities to increase the daily payment from GH¢13 to GH¢30 daily in view of the difficulties associated in carrying the cocoa beans.

They warned that any group of people who would attempt to carry the cocoa loads as a result of the demonstration would be attacked.

Mr Joseph Dofoyena, the District Chief Executive for Ahanta West, appealed to the demonstrators to end their action but this yielded no results and thus promised to take the matter up to the authorities concerned to help resolve the issue.

Some cocoa haulage truck drivers also joined the demonstrators saying that because the cocoa porters had laid down their tools, their goods were not being offloaded and this had created some inconveniences for them.

The demonstrators burnt car tyres in front of the cocoa village to show their displeasure.