The Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) has sued three institutions that are playing key roles in the privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), demanding redundancy package for ECG workers.
The suit brought against ECG, the Attorney-General and the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) is in respect of the non-payment of redundancy package to its members.
In a writ filed at the Accra High Court Tuesday, the PUWU argue that decision to handover the nation’s power distributor to a concessionaire will affect its members for which reason a package needs to be given to its members.
It said discussions that went into negotiations for the sale of ECG did not factor the declaration of redundancy, despite the directive in Section 65 of the Labour Act, 2005 (Act 651).
PUWU is asking the court to declare that the government’s approach to transfer ECG workers to the concessionaire known as grandfathering constitutes a redundancy, contemplated by the Labour Act 651.
It is also demanding an order directing the three defendants to comply with the provisions of Act 651, which details redundancy process that has to be followed.
Among other things, the Union is seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the defendants, their assigns and privies from continuing with the Compact between the government and MiDA over the sale of ECG.
PUWU wants a declaration that the failure of 1st and 2nd defendants [ECG and Attorney General respectively] to declare a redundancy for workers of ECG constitutes a breach of the contract of employment between the plaintiff and 1st defendant.
By ADR Daily Newsdesk
