[ 2021-02-22 ]

GCNet remaining workers receive redundancy notice
The management of Ghana Community Network Services
Limited (GCNet) says it is prepared to pay
redundancy compensation to its laid off workers in
accordance with legal processes.
According to the management, it is challenging the
arbitration award by a panel of the National
Labour Commission (NLC) not because the company
wants to deny the workers compensation but wants
to ensure that the right procedures are followed
in line with the Labour Act.



Bearing in mind that the bill for the redundancy
compensation payment would have to be submitted to
the government for a refund as a result of the
abrogation of its trade services contract with
GCNet, the compensation has to be properly
negotiated and administered, the company says.

The Managing Director of GCNet, Mr Alwin Hoegerle
explains that the anomalies detected in basing the
compensation calculation on the company's Human
Resource policy Manual, for which the management
sent the matter to the NLC and the High Court,
have to be rectified so as not to make it
difficult for the government to honour its
obligation in settling the bill.

He said although the Accra High Court denied
management's application to set aside the NLC
arbitral award compelling the company to pay
redundancy compensation without negotiation with a
registered trade union, management is filing an
appeal against the decision which ignored the
claim of incapacity of the Welfare Staff
Association to negotiate on behalf of the
workers.

He assured the affected workers of their
compensation, adding that "we are eager to
complete the adjudication process so that we can
execute the compensation payments in an
appropriate manner."



Disagreement over arrangements for the payment of
compensation, including the capacity of the
Welfare Staff Association to negotiate on behalf
of some 148 affected workers, led the management
and the workers to the Labour Commission,
following which the Commission’s arbitration
panel, in its September 14, 2020 award, ruled that
the provisions in the company’s Human Resource
Policy Manual should be used in paying the
compensation to the redundant workers.

However, the management is challenging the award,
saying the involvement of the association, which
it says is not a registered union and does not
have a collective bargaining certificate, renders
the use of the manual for redundancy compensation
negotiation, illegal as it contravenes the
provisions of the Labour Act on redundancy.

Thereafter, the remaining 50 workers embarked on
an industrial action, but the Labour Commission,
declared that action as illegal, and accordingly
directed them to call off the strike, which they
adhered.


The redundancy exercise was triggered by the
government’s abrupt abrogation of its trade
facilitation service contract with GCNet;
effective May 31, 2020.

GCNet remaining workers receive redundancy notice
Meanwhile, the remaining staff of GCNet working on
the GeGov Project have been served notice of
Redundancy letters to be laid off by end of April
2021 following the non-renewal of GCNet’s
Service Agreement with the Ghana Revenue Authority
(GRA) .



The January 29, 2021 letter explained that
management had to embark on a demobilization
exercise in the operations of the GeGov Service,
Infrastructure and Support Departments due to
non-renewal of the service agreement.

‘Per above, your employment contract shall be
determined through redundancy. GCNet is hereby
serving three months effective February 1, 2021.
The effective date of your termination is April
30, 2021’, the letter in part read.

The affected staff, numbering over 50 says they
are shocked and anxious over the silence of the
letter on the stipulated redundancy package as
enshrined in the Company’s Human Resource Manual
Policy, with some contemplating seeking legal
redress should the suffering of redundant
colleagues earlier served be visited on them.

Earlier on June 1 2020, a notice of redundancy
letter to about 147 staff of GCNet was issued, an
exercise which was effected due to Government’s
termination of GCNet’s TradeNet and Transit
Service contract on May 31, 2020 which notice was
served in early April 2020.

The fears of the soon to be made redundant staff
on the GeGov Project, according to them, stem from
the outstanding payment of their colleagues on the
TradeNet and Transit side of the Company’s
operations till date in spite of an Arbitration
Award in favour of those affected and a High Court
ruling upholding the decision of the Arbitration
Panel using the National Labour Commission rules.

Source - Graphic Online

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