No Demo at KIA

– Minister tells MPs
STORY BY EVANS OSEI BAFFOUR, PARLIAMENT
The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda, has denied recent reports of a demonstration staged at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) by workers of the Ghana Airports Company Limited.
According to him, there have been calls by workers over their salary increment but has not led to workers demonstrating.
The Minister, was answering a question posed by the NPP Member of Parliament for Ahafo-Ano South constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr. Stephen Kweku Balado Manu, regarding the circumstances that led to the recent demonstration by workers of the KIA on the floor of Parliament last Tuesday.
The minister noted that, as part of the normal collective bargaining agreement, the Union and workers of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) requested for a 25% salary increment from management, which according to him, was later referred to the Board of Directors.
He added that the Board, upon later consideration, proposed a 5% salary increase as against the 25% demanded by the workers.
The workers subsequently rejected the 5% salary increase, he intimated.
After series of negotiations, the minister noted, the matter was referred to the Labour Commission for arbitration.
The Minister further stressed that the GACL management has complied with the Commissions directive to increase salaries by 12% and used the opportunity to call on the workers to exercise restraint in their actions.
Another development the minister addressed was concerning the number and names of persons recruited into the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) security and procedure followed in the recruitment process which was asked by the NPP Member of Parliament for Takoradi in the Western Region, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah.
The Minister intimated that the GPHA as a statutory organization occasionally takes steps to replenish its staff levels when the need arises.
He added that one hundred and forty (140) persons were recently successfully recruited into the GPHA security department at the Tema Port and have since become official staff of GPHA since September, 2011.