Laid Off Workers Demand Severance Pay

Former workers of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), who were laid off as a result of a commercialisation exercise to about 180 institutions in the country, have asked the government to pay them their full severance benefits.

The workers said they should have been laid off next year, but due to "premature and hasty" implementation of the programme, Dr. Stephen Adei, Director-General of GIMPA, "has caused them to live in pain and stress since last year".

Mrs Emma Peterson, former Principal Catering/Housekeeping Officer, and a spokesperson for the workers said these at a press conference in Accra yesterday, to bring plight to notice of the public and seek fair treatment from the government.

She said they have petitioned the relevant authorities in government including the Member of Parliament for the constituency (Ayawaso West), Mr. George Amoo but have not heard anything positive yet.

She said the management did not give them the required three months notice for separation, neither was there any "meaningful dialogue and consultations...with relevant workers' groupings within the institute like Teachers and Educational Workers (TEWU) and Senior Staff Association."

She said "it is not true that the GIMPA Management had consulted and involved the national executives in the process," thus ignoring the decision taken on behalf of government at Akosombo in March 1999 under the National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP).

"There are some institutions such as University Press, GNA, Standard Board, National Theatre which the exercise affected but they are still working and receiving their salaries and we from GIMPA are out," she said.

The dismissed members expressed surprise that 112 workers were sent away but more than 112 "less qualified and experienced" have filled their positions.

They accused Dr. Adei of being "undemocratic".