VALCO Workers Shut Down Plant Over Low Salary…Wants Retirees Out

Workers of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) have shut down the public aluminium manufacturing company plants over low salary. The aggrieved workers say their salary is below US$300 per month in cedi equivalent as has not seen any upward adjustments since last year. They blame the situation on the continuous stay of over

28 retirees at the company, hence the need for management to let them go. The workers wants two executive management members, including the Chief Executive Officer, Dan Acheampong and the Human Resource Director, Festus Quaidoo to be relieved of their posts because they have attained the compulsory

retirement age. Some of the workers abandoned their posts at the production unit and they were seen dancing to music from loud sound system which were mounted at the frontage of the company. The remaining workers were also seen in groups and chatting during working hours. Prior to that the frontage of the company was

blocked, using a 40-footer container to prevent the top management from getting to the company. However, the security agencies intervened to get the container removed from the road. Local chairman of the VALCO workers union, Edgar Tetteh revealed that they have shut down tbe company’s plant today affer laying down their

tools. “We are agitating because we do not want the presence of the retirees here. They are overstretching our finances and because of them, we are not being given our rightful wages. There is no smelter who is paid less than US$1000 globally but here, we are given US$300 Cedi equivalent. The non-management workers are suffering,” he said.