The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations has directed the management of Ghana Digital Centres Limited (GDCL) to immediately withdraw its decision to suspend the employment contracts of all staff following flood damage to the company’s Accra facility.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 1, the Ministry rejected the directive contained in a circular issued by GDCL, which announced that all employment contracts would be temporarily suspended from July 1 pending a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the June 29 floods.
“The Ministry takes a very strong view of the directive and immediately instructs Management to reverse that decision. All GDCL staff are to disregard the directive,” the Ministry said.
GDCL had earlier attributed the decision to extensive damage caused by the floods, which disrupted operations at the technology hub and affected businesses operating within the facility.
The Ministry expressed solidarity with employees affected by the disaster, noting that many staff members had also suffered personal losses as a result of the flooding.
“At a time when staff have been personally affected by the June 29 floods, the Ministry stands with its staff and the staff of all our agencies,” the statement added.
The Ministry further announced that the management of Ghana Digital Centres Limited had been summoned to a meeting on Wednesday, July 2, to discuss the decision and the way forward.
The meeting follows a visit by the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, to the facility on June 30 to assess the extent of the flood damage and its impact on businesses operating at the centre.
Earlier, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Digital Centres Limited, Christine Adwoa Agyapomaa Ansong, defended the temporary suspension of staff contracts, maintaining that the measure did not constitute a dismissal of employees.
She explained that the decision had become necessary because the flooding had caused extensive damage to the facility, rendering parts of the premises unsafe and disrupting the centre’s revenue-generating activities.
According to her, management intends to recall all affected employees once restoration works have been completed and normal operations resume.
