MDU accuses Ocean Network Express of violating Ghana’s labour laws

The Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union (MDU) has issued a complaint against the management of Ocean Network Express (One) Group, accusing them of violating Section 65 of the Labour Act 651, 2003.

The Ocean Network Express is a Japanese global container shipping Company which is a Joint Venture of three container shipping lines MOL, NYK and K-Line and started its Ghana operations on the 30th of March 2018.

The impasse which started with the disagreements between the MDU and the management of MOL Ghana which is one of the three companies that merged into the ONE Group relates to the manner in which the Managing Director of MOL Ghana, Mr Michael Durrant Cooper handled the transition to the ONE Group.

According to a complaint submitted to the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations by the MDU, Mr Michael Durrant Cooper refused to provide the list of the workers who would be maintained in the new joint venture of ONE Group and those whose employment would end with MOL Ghana to the MDU.

When that issue had not been settled, Mr Michael Durrant Cooper verbally informed four (4) workers to go on leave because they would not be part of the ONE Group.

The MDU accused Mr Michael Durrant Cooper of constituting himself into a one-man interview panel to conduct interviews that had pre-determined outcomes because even before the interviews conducted by Mr Durrant Cooper, he had introduced a system of getting some of the retained employees to understudy those who would not be part of the ONE Group.

The MDU stated in its complaint to the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations that the management of MOL Ghana had taken unilateral decisions in the course of negotiations and refused to discuss “measures to be taken to avert or minimise the termination as well as measures mitigate the adverse effects of any terminations on the workers concerned such as finding alternative employment” as provided in section 65(1 a & b ) of the Labour Act ( Act 65), 2003.

The MDU stated further in its statement to the Minister that Mr Michael Durrant Cooper unilaterally prepared cheques of redundancy pay for the employees which he claimed are part payment of the redundancy pay when they had not negotiated a redundancy package and the terms of payment. However, the management of MOL Ghana/ONE Group requested the employees to collect the cheques as part payment of the redundancy pay whilst they await the conclusion of negotiations with the union in blatant violation of section 65 (4) of the Labour Act (Act 651), 2003.

The MDU expressed unhappiness that though there would be the same 23 vacancies in the ONE Group as pertained in the MOL Ghana, Mr Michael Durrant Cooper decided not to retain the four (4) staff three (3) of whom are local union executives as part of his union busting methods.

It will be recalled that the District Council of MDU in Tema mobilised members of MDU in Tema for mass action against MOL Ghana on 23rd March 2018 when the leadership of the MDU District Council of Tema presented a petition against the violations of the labour rights of the workers of MOL Ghana to the management of the company. According to Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, the General Secretary of MDU, the union would continue to use every legal opening including mass actions to ensure that MOL/ONE Group respects the dignity and laws of Ghana.

“Foreign companies must behave as good corporate citizens and respect the laws of Ghana and not to undermine our sovereignty” , he said.

The Maritime and Dockworkers’ Union as part of their complaint requested the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to compel the management of MOL Ghana/ONE Group to respect the labour laws of Ghana.