NPP Gov't Betrayed Us - Sabat Workers

Workers of Sabat Motors on Wednesday asked the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) to issue a directive for the immediate re-opening of the company and re-instatement of all employees.

The workers, under the umbrella of Sabat Workers Action Committee (SWAC), also demanded that all arrears, wages and entitlements up-to-date be paid to employees, who were laid off nearly five years ago.

The workers, in a seven-point resolution presented to MOTI after they had marched to the ministry, called for an interim management team, made up of Sabat workers and MOTI to take over the running of the company.

"Concurrent with the re-opening of the company a probe should be instituted into the affairs of the company." The resolution said the office of the President, which has the supervisory control of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC), should immediately abrogate the sale of ATS to Sabat Motors.

It said the assets and status of the company be reverted to its original state, including the pre-divestiture first buyer option exercised by workers as the minority shareholders. The grievances of the workers stem from alleged malpractices in the divesture of the R.T. Briscoe segment of ATS to Sabat Motors Limited.

Mr Frank Dean Adjabeng, leader of the 250 workers, said: "The workers have gone through shame and knocked on several doors, including that of the Speaker of Parliament and the President, but nothing was done in response."

"Today, four years after the NPP's 'interest' and 'involvement' in the Sabat case, two years into the Kufuor Administration and six months after the public deadline given by Dr Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry and Nana Akufo-Addo, Attorney-General, no one can claim that the NPP administration 'needs more time'.

"So we are saddened and sickened by continuing evidence of a pattern of patronizing appeals for 'more time', false promises, bureaucratic indifference and elitist negligence."

Mr Adjabeng said: "It appears that what the NDC established by acts of commission, the NPP is continuing by acts of omission. The NPP is the government of the day, it must share the blame for perpetuating the dehumanisation of workers."

MOTI had written to SWAC to call off its intended demonstration since the report of the committee set up to advise government on their grievances was ready and would be submitted to the two ministers. The workers, numbering about 100, had earlier converged at the premises of Sabat Motors, near the Cocoa Board, where Mr Adjabeng read a communiqu? to them.

They then went on a peaceful demonstration through Central Accra to the Ministries under Police guard. Some of them wore red bands and carried placards which read: "We want positive Change"," We have suffered far too long" and "Our families are suffering".