GCAA dragged to court for termination of Porters' contract

The Civil Aviation Porters Union has filed a suit at an Accra High Court against the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for terminating a contract between them.

The Union is seeking a declaration by the court that the GCAA's termination of the contract was unlawful.

It is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the GCAA from recruiting new persons to take over the jobs of the members and claiming damages for wrongful abrogation of the contract.

The Union is also seeking damages from GCAA for imputing criminal impropriety to the members of the Union as people, who had been assisting armed robbers at the airport to attack travellers.

In the statement of claim filed by Mr J. K. Yeboah of Akuafo Chambers in Accra, on behalf of the plaintiff said that members were former employees of GCAA until their appointments were terminated in 1984 by the then Director General, Wing Commander Daniel Tetteh Osabu-Kle.

The workers as a result petitioned the then Ombudsman, who came out with some recommendations, which were presented to the Provisional National Defence Council Government.

The Government accepted the recommendations and directed the then Ministry of Mobilization and Social Welfare to handle the matter with the assistance of Wing Commander Andy Mensah, who had then taken over as the Director General of GCAA.

The Ministry instructed the Management of GCAA to enter into contract with the Porters Union for porterage services at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), which was accepted by both parties.

The Plaintiff argued that early this year, its Executives signed a year's contract with the Management of GCAA, which has now been terminated.

Plaintiff said the GCAA had, however, employed people under the name of KIA Trolley Staff and was paying them for their services.

Plaintiff contended that the termination of the contract on the grounds of ensuring airport security or national security was a calculated ploy to drive members of the Union away from the airport and pave the way for some interested persons to recruit their people to take up the job.