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| Coalition against PSP worried about GWCL redeployment |
8/26/2005 |
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The National Coalition Against Privatization (NACP) of water on Thursday raised concern about the ongoing redeployment exercise at Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) saying the whole process was unfair and lacked transparency.
A Spokesman of the Coalition, Mr Gyekye Tanoh, told the GNA that there was conflict of interest in the appointment of the Administrator to manage the redeployment process.
He said the selection of a former deputy director of GWCL to administer the redeployment exercise of nearly 2,000 workers clearly showed that there was conflict of interest at play.
Sources at the GWCL confirmed to the GNA that the Administrator was a former senior official at GWCL.
On the $10 million severance package for the affected workers, Mr Tanoh said the final list of those to be laid off had not come out yet, which suggested that there were no clear cut criteria as to who should go or stay.
He said the fate of those workers, who would remain in the new GWCL, would be in limbo since it was not clear whether they were going to enjoy a similar package should any of them be fired afterward.
"There is the need to come up with a proper severance package that will deal with the needs of those who will stay as well," Mr Tanoh said
He said the Coalition is aware that most of the workers were not happy with the package but because the issue had dragged on for a long time they had to accept what was being offered so that they could do something better with their lives.
"In fact some of the workers feel the PSP is a bonanza to the senior management," he said.
Reiterating the National Coalition''s stance, Mr Tanoh said privatization always brought about corruption and not investment as Ghanaians were being made to believe.
He said the workers'' situation was just one sign and that the new industrial regime would be less favourable coupled with the new Labour Law, which was more labour restrictive.
About 1,280 workers of the GWCL, who would be retrained and redeployed under the Private Sector Participation (PSP) in water delivery, have started receiving letters informing them of their fate as the multi-million-dollar programme finally gears up to take off.
Source: GNA
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