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The General Secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions (TUC) has again called on the government to revise its contract with Meridian Port Services (MPS), as its execution could result in mbadive job losses.
Anthony Yaw Baah said that the 35-year contract signed in 2015 was not in the interest of Ghanaian workers because they would be fired.
During the May Day parade on Black Star Square in Accra, he spoke of the theme "Sustainable pensions for all: the role of the social partners".
"We understand that the Ghana government has signed a 35-year contract with MPS in 2015, which will allow MPS to monopolize Tema's port operations when its new terminal is commissioned next month (June 2019).
"The contract was awarded to MPS without competition. Analyzes conducted by the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA) show that when the new terminal comes into service in June 2019, with the monopoly rights granted to MPS, the GPHA and the other operators of the port of Tema will lose huge revenues that could collapse many companies related to containers, "he said.
In 2015, the board of directors and management of GPHA made the decision to build another terminal in the port of Tema. The decision had been taken because of the need for a new automated terminal increasing the volume and efficiency of operations in the port.
Its success has made Tema a competitive global shipping center.
GPHA's initial plan was to submit the expansion project to a competitive bidding process. Two projects have been announced. One for the construction of the terminal and the other for the operations once the terminal is completed.
More than 56 entities have shown interest, of which 20 have been selected. The offers of these global companies underscored the great interest that the project has aroused around the world.
It is worth noting that no offers have been received from MPS, a consortium formed in 2003 and comprised of Meridian Port Holdings (MPH) and GPHA.
In response to President Akufo-Addo's speech on the state of the nation (SONA) to Parliament in February, the TUC called on the presidency to intervene.
Well, the TUC did not yield to his call as a Mr. Yaw Baah made it clear that the continuation of the contract would result in mbadive job losses in the marine sector.
"The GPHA could declare more than 1,400 redundant workers in 2019 alone," he said.
The secretary-general of the TUC therefore appealed to the president to intervene by examining the MPS contract.
"We are therefore concerned not only with the mbadive job losses resulting from the operation of the new container terminal by MPS, but also by the huge losses in public revenue," he said.
He added that "if the contract is not reviewed and MPS goes into operation in the new terminal in June 2019, Ghana will surely lose millions of dollars in revenue, in addition to the $ 800 million granted to MPS. in the form of tax breaks under this agreement. . "
Dr. Yaw Baah called on all stakeholders to work hand in hand to ensure economic growth and create more decent jobs and housing for workers.
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