Vodafone Expatriate: “Ghanaians Are Lazy”

As workers of Vodafone Ghana are ticking their wounds over the recently announced compulsory redundancy programme targeted at 950 workers, there is growing discontent among some key top personnel over the conduct of a Zambian expatriate worker of the company.

The Zambian, Mr Amon Jere, is alleged to have castigated workers of the company, saying “Sack all the Ghanaians because they are lazy.”

A source within the management of Vodafone Ghana, told The Enquirer that hell nearly broke loose last Wednesday, when some of the workers heard of the comment purported to have emanated from the Zambian.

The source, who, for the fear of victimization, pleaded anonymity, told The Enquirer it took tact and diplomacy by some management members to clam the tempers of the worker down, otherwise they were going charge on Mr Jere. The Zambian, 34, was employed by Vodafone Ghana to lead the Marketing, Sales and Distribution department.

According to the source, Mr Jere has the penchant for using swear words on the Ghanaian workers of Vodafone. The source told The Enquirer that there have been several complaints to the top brass of Vodafone concerning Mr Jere’s persistent use of derogatory words.

“This Zambian, who landed in the country some few months before the launch of Vodafone brand in Ghana, has one of the best conditions in the company,” the source said.

Mr Jere, who currently resides at the plush Vilagio apartment, the source said, is paid a figure close to $30,000 every month. “In addition to this juicy salary offer, the man earns one per cent of the sales his department makes every month and why won’t he insult Ghanaians because we are treated differently,” the source said.

According to the source, Vodafone Ghana allegedly spends over $5,000 on the accommodation of Mr Jere alone. A senior union member also told the Enquirer that the behaviour Mr Jere shows how far the company has gotten to.

“Some of the expatriates see the Ghanaian workers as ‘nothing’ better and that is because of the conditions they enjoy. “Intimidation, harassment and the use of abusive language against the Ghanaian workers is the order of the day and who are we to complain. “After buying this big asset under such shameful manner insults are added to our injuries by the expatriates,” the senior union member said.

Vodafone Ghana has recently come under intense pressure over the decision to place about 950 workers of the company on compulsory redundancy. The general public, Ghana Trades Union Congress and the government have kicked against the intended action by the company.

There is apprehension among the work force of the company, as it is likely that more people could be made redundant in the days to come. At the time Vodafone purchased Ghana Telecom, the company had 1.5 million subscribers to its mobile phone system, ‘Onetouch’.

Apart from that GT had in place 200,000 fixed line systems with close to 400 cell sites. There were rumpuses over the sale, as majority of Ghanaians were not in favour of the deal.