Crocodile Matchet workers demonstrate against poor salaries

Workers of Crocodile Matchet Company Limited, manufacturers of various types of cutlasses, on Monday, embarked on a demonstration to protest against delay in salary negotiations.

The workers numbering over 150 who wore red bands, converged at the Company’s entrance at Tema Industrial Area for hours.

According to the aggrieved workers, the salary negotiations for this year has unduly delayed for six months without any tangible reason.

They therefore called for the immediate removal of Mr Daniel Hesse, Human Resources Officer and Mr Adu Danso, Works Director, of the Company.

They accused Mr Hesse and Mr Danso of being behind some 30 per cent cut in salaries of workers that were transferred from one department to the other due to some medical conditions they contracted from working at the factory.

They added that the delay in the negotiations and the alleged pay cuts in addition to other unfavourable work conditions were having untold hardship on their families.

The Ghana News Agency was unable to get a reaction from the two officers as they were not at the Company’s premises.

One of the workers, who gave his name only as Samuel stated that he had work at the company for almost 20 years but his salary was slashed down after being declared medically unfit for his department.

“I have been here for 30 years but my salary has been cut down and the management told me it’s because am not strong again, meanwhile it was the work that made me so, so why should the pay come down,” Mr Allhassan another worker complained.

Mr Morgan Ayawuni, Deputy General Secretary, In-charge of Operations, Industrial Commercial Workers Union (ICU), told the media that they were informed about the demonstration and therefore came to meet Management. Mr Ayawuni said information gathered revealed that even though the workers reported to work with the intention doing their daily work, they found the main gate locked with some Police personnel present.

He pleaded with the workers to return home and report for work the next day to create a conducive environment for the ICU to meet and negotiate with Management on the issues raised.