Oil company to pay compensation

Mobicrane Limited, the Takoradi-based oil and gas service provider, which purportedly terminated the appointment of about 18 workers of the company for trying to join the General Transport, Chemical and Petroleum Workers Union of the TUC, has been ordered by the Labour Union to offer appropriate compensation to the sacked workers.

The labour union, which described the alleged treatment meted out to the workers, made up of field assistants, crane and forklift operators as unfair, gave the order after a crunch meeting held between the labour union, affected workers and management of the oil and gas service provider on Monday.

Francis Sellah, Regional Industrial Relations Officer for the General Transport, Chemical and Petroleum Workers Union of the TUC, told CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE that after the marathon meeting it was realized that the affected workers had been given a raw deal.

He indicated that the company was ordered to pay due compensation to the affected workers.

Mr. Sellah explained that affected staff, who worked with the company for four years, are to be paid 14 months’ salary as compensation while those who worked for three years are to be given 12 months’ salary.

He added that staff, who also worked with the company for one or two years, are to receive eight and 12 months’ salary as compensation.

“The workers’ salaries ranged between GH¢200.00 and GH¢ 450.00,” Mr. Sellah pointed out.

It would be recalled that CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE published in its Tuesday, February 19 edition of the paper that about 18 Ghanaian workers of the oil service provider had been sacked last Wednesday.

According to sources, the workers were dismissed when they decided to join the GTPCWU of the TUC in order to gain bargaining power to negotiate with the company for better service conditions.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Mobicrane, Hadi Domloge explained that the services of the affected workers were not needed since demand for the company’s services by clients had dwindled.

“This is evident by the number of our main working tools (crane and forklifts) that are parked idle in the premises of the company for some time. This unfortunate situation has severely impacted on the company revenue with unbearable negative consequences,” he added.

Explaining the rationale behind the termination of the workers’ appointment in a letter, a copy of which is in the possession of DAILY GUIDE, Mr. Domloge noted that with the loss of business, the labour force had outstripped demand.

“Under the circumstances, the company finds it difficult to continue keeping its current size of labour force. We are therefore compelled to reduce staff in some departments of the company,” he stated in the letter.