Palpable fears seem to be reigning at the PSC Tema Shipyard among the staff of the organization over the likely loss of jobs following the scaling of operations by the new management.

The anxiety and trepidation of the workers, reports say, hit a crescendo after a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Alexander Adusei on Monday.

Sources familiar with Monday’s meeting said Dr Adusei minced no words by stating that the services of the workers were no longer going to be needed as the company is financially distressed.

PSC Tema Shipyard, according to the management, cannot on its own generate enough revenue to pay salaries and offset the rising debt of the company, hence the decision to lay them off.

Employees who survive the retrenchment exercise would only be paid on a commission basis, Dr Adusei said at the meeting – a decision that violates the Union’s Collective Agreement with management.

Those who raised concerns at the meeting were rudely interjected as the CEO, who made it clear to them, he had the backing of the government to undertake the retrenchment exercise.

“We are going to close the yard by May 1, 2021, because we cannot raise fund to pay salaries after April,” Dr. Adusei is reported to have said to the dismay of the union members.

What is more, by May 1, 2021, all employees of the Shipyard would automatically forfeit their health insurance and can only access healthcare with their National Health Insurance Cards.

But the workers are irked by the decision to compulsorily retrench them without following due process.

The aggrieved workers said they are completely baffled by the claims of bankruptcy as vessels continue to dock at the port.

“We are very much surprised about the issue of finances because two vessels had docked at the time, we were having the meeting.

“So, for management to say the yard is not making money is baffling. If we have issues with finances then it could only be down to pure mismanagement and nothing else,” one of the affected workers added.

Our source further quizzed, “So why are they not paying those working overtime any allowance?

“By the statement of the CEO, is the company seeking to undertake redundancy? If that is so, then the company should act based on the redundancy provision, Section 65 of the Labour Act, Act 2003(Act 651)?

“And why are they also refusing to go by the provisions of the Labour Act amounts to a violation of the Labour laws of Ghana?”

It is believed that six investors have expressed interest in investing in the PSC Tema Shipyard and that management has commenced the selection process to settle on one of the entities.

The Tema Shipyard is one of the largest shipyards and dry-docks on the African continent. Strategically located on 44.45-acre land in the centre of the sub-region.