The High Court in Accra has granted an interim injunction stopping the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) from going ahead with its mass transfer and decision to reduce the ranks of some staff.

It has also suspended the “proceed on leave” order issued by the management of YEA to some staff in an ongoing restructuring exercise by the Agency.

The injunction, which was filed ex-parte (without notice) to YEA, was granted Wednesday, July 5 by the court presided over by Justice Laurenda Owusu, and it is to last 10 days.

“…This order shall remain in force for a period of only 10 days after which the application may be repeated on notice to the other side(YEA),” Justice Owusu said.

The injunction was secured by one of the affected staff, Joseph Nelson.

YEA in letters dated March 17 and 29 ordered Nelson and other staff across the country to “proceed on leave, and again issued letters dated May 19 and 20, June 13 and 19 in which some staff had their ranks reduced while others were transferred and some reassigned. It explained the move was part of a “restructuring exercise to reposition the Agency for higher productivity.”

But Nelson in his motion for the interim injunction filed on June 30 said those who were transferred “from one region to the farthest other regions” were asked, “to comply and relocate within seven days without due process and without any transportation and accommodation arrangements”.