Ghanaian workers protest against ‘abusive’ Turkish bosses

Workers of the ARDA Group Company, a Turkish company based in Akim Oda in the Eastern Region, demonstrated on Thursday against alleged abuses meted out to them by their employers.

The Turkish company has been operating in the Oda area for the past three years after securing a Government of Ghana contract to undertake water projects and related infrastructural works at Akim Oda, Winneba and Cape Coast.

During the protest by the local workers, other workers, also Ghanaians, called for calm, and reminded the agitated workers that the projects being undertaken were in the best interest of Ghanaians and not the Turkish and so they should exercise restraint.

“They are working in the interests of Ghanaians. If the work fails they will paid what is due them at the end of the contact,” the sympathetic worker said.

But majority of the workers appeared incensed by the actions of the company’s managers which they deemed to be demeaning.

They singled out one Mustaph Aziz Amando, who is the Deputy Project manager.

They accused him of regularly assaulting the workers for no tangible reason.

They cited one instance saying, “Our colleague was beaten on Saturday after he was accused of liaising with outsiders to steal from the company because he placed a machine where it wasn’t supposed to be,” one worker complained.

The agitated workers also claimed that their salaries are not stable and that they are being exploited and made to work grueling odd hours detrimental to their health.

“Our salaries are not stable. Another disturbing issue is that we have not been given appointment letters. We are made to work during odd ours and it affects our health.”

Abuses of local employees by expatriate bosses increasing
Allegations of physical abuse against foreign employers have surfaced in recent times.

The one which has angered many Ghanaians including the Trades Union Congress (TUC), is the one which involves an Italian workshop supervisor.

The expatriate is alleged to have chained one of his Ghanaian subordinates to a container in the hot sun, as punishment for failing to complete a task assigned him.

Korean boss slaps Ghanaian woman with hot pizza

In another incident, an employee of the Peterpan Restaurant in Accra, was also slapped with a piece of hot pizza by her Korean employer. After reporting the case to the police, she eventually decided not to pursue the matter but has since resigned from the firm.

By-CITIFMONLINECOM