Fate of 540 DICs workers hangs

The over-540 displaced workers of the five destination companies (DICs) whose valuation and classification contract with government was abrogated in August last year are still awaiting confirmation from the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Finance Ministry of being absorbed into the single window system.

The workers were sent home when government abrogated its contract with the DICs -- namely Ghana Link Network Services, Gateway Services Ltd., Webb Fontaine, BIVAC and Inspections and Control Services (ICS).

Spokesperson for the group, Carl Sowah, told the B&FT in an interview: “We are pleading with government to absorb our peculiar expertise into the new revenue generation stream; we don’t want our 15 years of investments, skills and knowledge to go waste.

“We are ready to support Customs with our expertise and years of experience under the new era, for government to rake in the much-needed revenue.”

According to Carl Sowah, the frustration of workers mounts by the day as the “little redundancy package” they received from their respective companies has been exhausted, while their chances of securing new jobs remains minimal.

He added: “I keep receiving calls from members regarding latest developments on the situation. The fact is that our skills and expertise are technical and peculiar; and that makes it difficult for us to find alternative jobs”.

Mr. Sowah, citing a couple of precedents, petitioned government to absorb them [the displaced workers] into the new revenue generation stream.

“From the border guard operations to the preventive wing of the then CEPS; from the Pre-shipment Inspection to Destination Inspection; and from the Sales Tax regime to VAT operations, workers of the previous scheme were smoothly absorbed into the current system.”

Mother-body of the displaced workers, the Maritime and Dockworkers Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), is currently engaged in negotiations with the ministries of Employment and Labour Relations and Finance, the GRA, and the Chief of Staff to get its members back to work.

General Secretary of the union, Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, told the B&FT in an interview: “We --MDU and the TUC -- are currently petitioning government to speed up the processes to get the personnel onto the single window system.

“The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations asked that we produce a database of the workers, which has been completed and forwarded to the GRA and MoF. What we are expecting is a meeting to discuss the framework within which the absorption process will take place.”

Mr. Owusu-Koranteng indicated that negotiations with all concerned state parties on the issue have been cordial and supportive, and advised that the process be fast-tracked to address the workers’ plight as soon as possible.