Tension In STC � Over Salary Arrears

Tension is gradually mounting in Beleaguered state owned Intercity State Transport Company Limited (Intercity STC) as workers of the company prepare to protest what they describe �as poor working conditions of service for over 10 years.� The threat comes a few weeks after the union of STC hit the streets on September 25, 2013 and appealed to President John Dramani Mahama, to, as matter of urgency, dismiss the company�s Managing Director (MD) Mr. Charles Thompson, and the Head of Finance and Administration, Mr. Nuhu Jansbaka. However, in a follow-up to the story, Today can report that this new development is not limited to STC alone, but has plagued other state-owned institutions including the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the ten regions of Ghana. According to some of the workers of STC who speak to Today on condition of anonymity, this is not the first time the company [STC] is being hit with agitations from its workers over poor management and poor conditions of service. The workers indicated that: �For the past 10 years, our salaries have not seen any upward revision neither have we received any allowances.� They reiterated that: �Despite the fact that all our debts have been cleared by the Social Security & National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), our salaries still remain the same, we are fed up with our MD and the head of finance and administration, they must go now.� According to them, some of their colleagues had worked with the company for over 20 years but their monthly salary was not up to GH�300; �some of the drivers even receive as low as GH�70 a month.� �Our MD and the head of finance and administration have let us suffered too much. We will not allow them to continue to cheat us again. Until they do something about our salaries, we will not go back to work,� Kofi Klon said. They pointed out that management of STC had claimed workers� contributions made to Vanguard Assurance. �When we approached Mr. Jansbaka on the matter, he promised to give us the money if we will give him one percent from each worker�s benefit,� they alleged. They said after SSNIT bought majority shares in STC and paid is debts of GH�5.1 million to the National Investment Bank (NIB), GH�554,000 to Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), and GH�1.7 million to Mr. Svani, they have not seen any improvement in the company�s operations. They therefore called on management of SSNIT to put the right measures in place to save the company from collapsing. According to them, SSNIT, the majority shareholder of Intercity STC Company Limited, paid an estimated GH�23 million to the latter�s creditors and suppliers. They disclosed that the payment drastically reduced the debt stock of the transport company, which stood at GH�45 million as at October 2012. GH�7.5 million was paid to Prudential Bank to settle STC�s indebtedness.