Workers of Mim Timbers on the warpath

The management of Mim Timber Company (MTC) in the Brong Ahafo Region had to flee their offices to avoid the wrath of junior workers during a demonstration on Wednesday.

The workers, numbering over 1,400, said their action was to register their disgust over alleged attempts by the management to reverse the recent divestiture of the company to Scanstyle Mim Limited.

They threatened to make life a hell for their management staff if they did not abort their attempts to reverse the divestiture and pay them their salaries, entitlements and other benefits.

A police taskforce dispatched from Sunyani to assist their counterparts at Mim to maintain law and order was driven away by the angry workers who threatened to beat them up if they intervened.

Mr. Joe Evans Sarkodie, Chairman of the Junior Workers Union, said the state-owned company had been on the divestiture list for sometime now after it went into distress due to lack of raw materials and other logistic problems.

"We were all, therefore, happy when we were told recently that the company had been finally divested to Scanstyle since we believed that it would mark the turn of its fortunes."

Mr. Sarkodie noted that the workers were therefore displeased when they were reliably informed that their management was trying to reverse the divestiture in addition to refusing to pay them their entitlements.

He claimed that it is the firm belief of the workers that their management was trying to reverse the divestiture so that they could continue to run it and enjoy the benefits that are associated with their high positions.

"Whilst junior workers are always prevailed upon to forego certain benefits due to the distressing position of the company, the management staff continue to enjoy the full benefits that come with their positions."

Mr. Sarkodie said it is the opinion of the workers that management is only trying to protect their privileged positions by opposing the divestiture, a situation the junior workers would never allow to happen.

He said the take-over of the company by Scanstyle would give it a newlease of life and the junior workers are determined to ensure that it materialises.

The workers later left the premises of the company without any violent incident and paraded the principal streets of Mim, holding aloft their placards amid the singing of war songs.