By Hannah Dadzie
Tensions have escalated at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) as workers express their outrage following the withdrawal of several allowances by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The decision has sparked dissatisfaction among employees, who feel their hard labour is not adequately acknowledged and rewarded.
Members of staff are asking whether the removal of the allowances is part of the IMF conditions to contain the wage bill.
The Union representing the interests of employees is calling for the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission.
It is also asking for immediate dialogue between Management, the FWSC, and relevant government authorities to address the issue.
According to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), it has commenced a Nationwide Payroll Monitoring Exercise with the Internal Audit Agency. This is in line with the FWSC Act, 2007 (Act 737), which mandates the Commission to develop and monitor allowances and benefits as well as to coordinate, manage, and monitor collective bargaining processes in which Government is the direct or indirect employer.
According to the Commission, as part of the payroll monitoring exercise, it has discovered that some staff at GBC are currently enjoying allowances to which they are not entitled. The affected allowances include rent allowance, housing, utility, vehicle maintenance, and transportation, among others.
In reaction, workers at GBC are organising protests and are also willing to engage in various forms of industrial action.
Speaking to GBCNEWS, Divisional Union Chairman of GBC, Sam Nat Kevor, said the Commission has gotten it wrong with its findings. He explains why it was wrong for FWSC, in connivance with CAGD, to remove allowances for GBC workers.
The Chairman of GBC Senior Management Staff, Tahiru Abdul Razak Mohammed, said the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission should have consulted management of the Corporation before taking this decision.
Some of the workers expressed their frustration, saying the removal of these allowances feels like a betrayal of their hard work.
Some employees argue that without these incentives, there may be a decline in motivation and productivity. As tensions persist at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the fate of the withdrawn allowances remains uncertain. The situation calls for swift action to restore harmony within the organisation.
