GPHA workers protest MPS contract and want revised agreement

On Friday, April 26th, workers from the Ghana Ports and Harbors Administration, GPHA, took part in a peaceful protest to force the government to re-examine the Meridian Port Services Contract as part of the expansion project. Harbor.

The Ghana government signed a 35-year contract with MPS in 2015, allowing MPS to effectively take over the activities of the port of Tema.

But Samuel Arhin, who represents the workers of the GPHA board of directors in an interview with Citi News, said the contract, if it was not revised, would result in losses. mbadive jobs at the port.

"When the new government arrived, they took a giant step by forming an interdepartmental committee. They reviewed the concession agreement and stated that the concession agreement was not in good faith in Ghana. They should take steps to correct it. So we thought something was going to be done, so we have to respect them. "

"We have waited for them and today nothing has been done to fix them. What we thought we should do is still suspended. According to their schedule, I know that they will deploy it by the end of the month. We do not want the MPS to launch its program before the concession agreement is completed. We want something done before they start, "he added.

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TUC requests revision of the contract

The Trades Union Congress had previously asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to urgently intervene to have the contract reviewed.

The TUC estimates that Ghana's only Port and Port Authority (GPHA) could lay off about 1,400 workers in 2019 as a result of the MPS project and has therefore requested government intervention.

In addition to mbadive job losses, the GPHA will surely lose millions of dollars in revenue, in addition to the $ 800 million MPS tax relief, if the contract is not reviewed and MPS begins operations. in the new terminal in June 2019.

According to the TUC, the contract was awarded to MPS without going through a competitive bidding process.

He also pointed out that when the new terminal would come into operation in June 2019, with the monopoly rights of MPS, GPHA and other operators in the port of Tema, such as terminal operators, the inner container depots (ICD), handling companies and shore handling companies, would lose huge revenues, which could lead to bankruptcy of many container companies.

Credit: citinewsroom