TDCL petitions government on disturbances at TOR and other companies

Tema, May 12, GNA - The Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) has appealed to the government not to make Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) a tolling facility. The Council pointed out that the use of TOR as a tolling facility could lead to the imminent collapse of the Refinery, as it was only paid the processing fee, which did not meet its operational expenses that included plant maintenance.

The appeal was contained in a resolution presented by the Council, to President Jon Atta Mills on Tuesday through Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.

The resolution, which was signed by Mr Wilson Agana, the Council's Chairman, was presented after about 1,000 of its members embarked on a peaceful demonstration in Tema.

The two-hour demonstration was to press government to ensure the continuous and uninterrupted supply of crude oil to feed the Refinery, and also for the abolishment of the tolling system at TOR, among other grievances. Other resolutions on the withdrawal of licenses of four stevedoring companies operating at the Tema Port, and the intended taking over of the 60 per cent Malaysian shares in the PSC Tema Shipyard and Drydock, were also presented.

The Council noted in the resolution that crude oil procurement was a matter of grave concern, also the choice of company to lift or supply it and the establishment of Letters of Credit, were a challenge.

It further stated that the erratic nature of crude oil supply and processing, negatively affected the processing plant and equipment. Members, therefore, called on government to make frantic efforts to give the Board and Management of the Refinery a free hand to manage TOR, in order to forestall frequent shutdowns and start-ups of the facility, with the attendant risks and hazards to life and the equipment. The resolution again stated that "government must immediately come to the aid of the Refinery, and help settle the crippling debts owed to SSNIT, Provident Fund, IRS, TUC, and other deductions, meant for social protection such as a Credit Union and the insurance premium debt, among others". It also advised government to apply the TOR recovery levy for the purpose for which it was established. That is to defray the Refinery's indebtedness to the Ghana Commercial Bank.

The Council also called on government to ensure that there was fairness in the licensing of the stevedoring companies operating at the Port. The resolutions again asked government to "ensure that those stevedoring companies, who had been disenfranchised, were also given renewed licenses to operate". It noted with surprise that all the stevedoring companies had been given renewed licenses to operate, with the exception of Odart, CTS Co. Ltd, Dashwood and Fountain View Stevedoring Companies. "The Council views this decision as unfair, so far as labour practices were concerned. A greater number of their workforce would lose their jobs let alone, the social and economic implications on their extended families and the society as a whole", it added. In the PSC Tema Shipyard and Drydock resolution, the TDCL alleged that "there are some top officials within the PSC Tema Shipyard, who are still at post and have been giving contract works to companies they have formed, instead of being done in-house by the Shipyard to reap revenue". It said even though government was about to take over the 60 per cent shares being owned by the Malaysians, it had allowed them to introduce another cream of Malaysians to the workers as the new management team of the Shipyard. The Council called on government to take expeditious measures to promptly take over the 60 per cent shares sold to the Malaysians, and to re-structure the operations of the Shipyard in order to seal off loopholes. It again appealed to government to take steps to re-merge the operations of the Shipyard to the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) as it was the case initially. 12 May 10