The management committee of the General Transport and Petroleum Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU) of MODEC Ghana are strongly kicking against retrenchment of some 18 highly skilled technical staff.

The Union in a strongly worded statement accuses Tullow Oil of being behind the April 2 letter MODEC presented to the Labor Department in respect of what the Workers’ leadership describe as “illegal actions”.

They also accuse the management of MODEC of discriminating against local expertise at the expense of their expatriate counterparts. They charged that Tullow’s decision to lay off workers was to an extent also forcing MODEC Ghana to do same.

The statement signed by the National Chairman and Deputy General Secretary of the GTPCWU, Mr. Samuel Quarshie and Francis Sallah respectively, asserted that Tullow’s operations supposedly targeted at cost saving should not affect Ghanaian workers ordinarily.

“In the event of any cost saving strategy to be implemented by Tullow oil Ghana and/or MODEC Ghana, it would be unwarranted and unjustifiable to suggest the laying off of Ghanaian workers to cut down cost as against the cutting down of expenditure in a relatively extreme higher cost activities of exploration and appraisal among other things,” the statement stated.

The Union belied the notion that a fall in oil prices and the company’s profits was to account for Tullow’s decision to retrench Ghanaian workers. Rather alluding that; “the drop in profit could only be attributed to expenditure in relatively extreme huge cost activities of exploration and appraisal.”

They also stated that huge investments by the company meant that it was rather in need of more hands rather than the current move of laying off. With respect to high personnel on board the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) as an excuse to retrench offshore personnel, the union described it as untenable because the number of people on board has never gone above the maximum of 120 people.

The Union’s statement also impugned the lack of enforcement of local content laws to protect and safeguard the interest of Ghanaians in the oil and gas sector. They further reiterated the long held issues of lopsided remuneration which are still rife in the sector.

On issues of pending labor issues, the GTPCWU expressed disappointment in the fact that, MODEC and Tullow have yet to recall staff who were sent home in the events of last years’ industrial dispute even though the union have cooperated fully with the two bodies in respect of a resolution.

“The union would reject any attempt by Tullow oil Ghana and/or MODEC Ghana to lay or carry out any such exercise that would disadvantage the Ghanaian worker in his or conditions of service,” their statement concluded.