Over 200 staff of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region are threatening not to take part in this year’s elections if salaries due them are not paid.
The workers who are also threatening to lay down their tools over 11 months’ salary arrears are demanding the immediate reimbursement of their salaries to them to help them cater for the daily needs of their families.
According to them, several attempts to hit the streets to protest have been blocked by the Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo who assured them to help address their grievances.
Christina Kodzi, convenor for the aggrieved workers in Lower Manya Krobo noted that “We have not been paid for the past 11 months. When we ask the YEA, they tell us it is Zoomlion that is supposed to pay us. When we asked Zoomlion, they claimed the government had not realised the common fund for us to be paid. We have children who are in school and many of us are single parents. We need the government to pay us because we need money.
“Our voices do not go anywhere, and it is difficult to get when we ask for our payment. We are pleading with them to pay us before the day of elections otherwise we will not vote. We decided to go for a demonstration but, the MCE for Lower Manya pleaded with us not to go so we could not proceed, but still, nothing has been done about it. The salary given to us is someone’s money for fuel, yet it is difficult to get.”
Meanwhile, the Assemblyman for Agormanya South Electoral Area, Raphat Mohammed who is equally concerned about the situation is urging the government to intervene as any plans by the group will affect sanitation issues in the Municipality.
“Zoomlion in Agona south have been complaining that they have not been paid for eleven months yet they are still working. The MCE has been informed about the situation, but nothing has been done, and I do not know what the MCE is up to.
“I will be very glad if you people can do something about it. They wanted to embark on a demonstration, but I pleaded with them to allow me to speak to the MCE, I did but nothing has been done about it. They have threatened not to sweep the market again. So, I am pleading with the government to do something about it,” he stated.
Zoomlion Ghana Limited had cleared the air on delayed payments to Youth Employment Agency (YEA) operatives under the Sanitation Module, stating they are not responsible for the holdup.
Recent reports had pointed fingers at Zoomlion for delaying allowances to YEA operatives in various parts of the country.
However, in a statement released on October 3, 2024, Zoomlion explained that the government has not disbursed funds to them yet, which is the actual cause of the delay.
Zoomlion emphasised that payment of YEA operatives’ allowances is solely determined by the government and YEA and then released to Zoomlion for onward payment to the beneficiaries.
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