GBC Staff stops breakfast show over basic allowance cut

The staff of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) reportedly stopped their breakfast show on May 22 to protest against the cut of their basic allowance.

The staff during the Breakfast Show gathered outside the broadcasting corporation’s headquarters in Accra glad in red bands and shirts to protest the cuts which led to the halting of the show.

Their protest comes after the staff as part of the new agreement will see a reduction of 33% of their current salaries.

According to a statement from the union, the cuts they say will worsen their plight due to the high cost of living in the country.

“We cannot stand by and watch as our basic allowances are cut, leaving us struggling to support ourselves and our families,” dailyguidenetwork.com quoted the statement.

The union has called on GBC management to reconsider the cuts and engage in dialogue with workers to find a solution that is fair to all parties.

“We are ready to engage in constructive dialogue with management to find a solution that is fair to all parties. We urge them to reconsider these cuts and work with us to find a way forward,” the statement added

The Controller and Accountant-General have been asked to direct some staff of the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation to refund some allowances wrongfully paid to them.

According to the report, in a letter written by the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ing. Ben Arthur, the staff who benefitted from the allowances of GH¢2,084,020 were not entitled to the allowance.

This was discovered after the FWSC embarked on a Nationwide Payroll Monitoring Exercise initiated by the Commission.

The report indicated that some staff below the rank of the director is said to have benefitted from items such as rent, domestic servant cleaner, housing, entertainment and utility in contravention of Category 4 Allowances, which he said should be taken off the payroll.

“As part of the payroll monitoring exercise, FWSC has discovered that some staff of GBC are currently enjoying allowances to which they are not entitled to.

“This should be stopped and taken off the payroll, he added.

YNA/OGB