COCOBOD workers oppose salary cuts

A prominent representative of the Quality Control Company of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has firmly objected to alleged proposals to reduce staff salaries because of falling global cocoa prices.

In a message shared on social media, Bernard Owusu stated that employees would not agree to salary cuts, insisting that workers should not suffer due to declining global cocoa prices or wider economic issues.

He stated that COCOBOD employees do not set global cocoa prices and lack control over market changes.

He also argued that employees should not be punished for what he referred to as financial mismanagement.

Mr. Owusu also raised concerns about the equity of focusing on staff salaries when senior executives allegedly receive much larger monthly compensation.

He pointed out the gaps between executive pay and that of regular employees, emphasizing that burdens in tough times should be shared fairly.

He argued that any effort to implement salary reductions unilaterally would violate the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), emphasizing that salary-related matters must be discussed with acknowledged unions.

He referred to workers as “not shock absorbers,” advocating for respect for the CBA, substantial interaction with unions, complete transparency in decision-making, and collective responsibility in tackling the industry’s financial issues.

The statement concludes by urging workers to unite as conversations about the reported salary changes persist.

Meanwhile the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU), Ghana, and the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) of TUC (Ghana) are calling for the immediate reversal of salary cuts imposed on COCOBOD staff.

In a joint statement, General Secretaries Morgan Ayawine (ICU) and Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe (GAWU) acknowledged that while the cuts were intended to ease COCOBOD’s financial strain, the move was executed improperly. They argue that management bypassed essential legal protocols, violating both national labour laws and established collective bargaining agreements.

The statement said the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana) and the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) expressed strong support for the government’s recent efforts to overhaul the cocoa sector.

While acknowledging the deteriorating state of COCOBOD and PBC, the unions described the new reforms as economically prudent measures that align with their long-standing advocacy for the industry’s survival, especially the new financing model that will enable COCOBOD to allocate 50 percent of the total cocoa produced in Ghana to CPC and other local processing companies for local processing.

This initiative is expected to promote value addition and job creation, thereby benefiting the large number of unemployed youth in the country.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com