Aggrieved workers besiege Zoomlion regional office in Sunyani

Aggrieved workers of Zoomlion, a waste management and sanitation firm in the Sunyani Municipality on Tuesday besieged the regional offices of the company to demand their monthly allowances.

The workers, mostly aged men and women and numbering more than 70 had earlier thronged the premises of Nsoatreman Rural Bank Limited in Sunyani, their bankers, to withdraw their allowances, but they were informed their salaries had not hit the account.

It was extremely difficult for the bank to drive them away, as the visibly angry workers would not accept any explanation.

The Ghana News Agency investigation showed that the company had not paid the workers’ their salaries for the past eight months.

But, the workers rushed to the Bank following an announcement made on a local radio station that the company had effected payment of all arrears.

Operations of the bank, however, halted for some period due to misunderstanding between the bank and the workers.

Tempers flared up between the workers and some staff of the bank but the timely intervention of the Police and other private security operatives calmed down nerves.

Not satisfied with explanations, the aggrieved workers, clad in red attires took to the street of the regional capital and later proceeded to the office of the company but when the GNA went there, the offices were closed.

Madam Hajia Ramatu, spokesperson for the aggrieved workers, told the GNA that the company directed them to open an E-Zwich account so that their allowances would be paid through it.

“We complied, but when we went to our banks, we were told our allowances has not been paid”, she said.

Madam Ramatu said the company owed workers in arrears for eight months and appealed to government to intervene for them.

When contacted, Mr George Manu, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Public Jobs Manager of Zoomlion, confirmed the story, adding that the company is in the process of paying the workers.

He said since the beginning of the week the company has paid two months allowances to 2,500 of the about the 5,000 workers in the region, and appealed to them to exercise restraint, saying all their arrears would be paid by the end of the month.