Unicredit workers complain about payment of salaries

Some workers of Unicredit, one of the financial institutions affected by government’s bank clean-up exercise are finding it difficult to make ends meet months after the revocation of the licence of the company.

Unicredit’s licence was revoked and the company, handed over to the Pricewater House Coopers (PWC) as receiver for the purpose of winding down the affairs of the financial institution.

But most of the workers who were given about three months contract by PWC to offer consultancy services and get paid on a monthly basis have still not received any payment for their work.

Few were however fortunate to receive some stipends which were way below the agreed amount of money.

The contract which began in August 2019 has since been extended to the end of November, 2019.

In separate interviews with the Ghanaian Times, some of the affected workers called on the PWC to as a matter of urgency pay off their account balance and salaries because “life has become very difficult.”

Mr David Botwe, who used to be the branch manager of the bank at Abossey Okai lamented that he had not received any money from PWC, the receiver for the past three months, adding that his investment of GH¢68,000.00 remained locked up with the bank and PWC had still not shown any sign of commitment to paying him his money.

“It is not easy for me because I have a wife and two children to take care of. This situation has really affected me negatively; even three of my colleagues who have also been badly affected have died as a result of pressure and sorrow. I have 13 years experience in the banking sector.

For close to three months, I have not received any money from my account or my consultancy fee but I am supposed to go to work because the receiver is using attendance to effect the payment of salaries,” he lamented.

Mr Botwe, whose wife is also currently unemployed, indicated that the bank clean-up exercise had caused more harm than good, especially now that people have started dying.

Another affected worker, Madam Victoria Dede Bonney called for the improvement of communication between PWC and staff of Unicredit, adding that the most important to her was for PWC to pay personal funds in the current and savings accounts of workers.