President Akufo-Addo has met with the Maritime and Dock workers Union over concerns of expected layoffs of more than a thousand workers in the implementation of the Tema Port Expansion Project.
Aggrieved workers of the GPHA went on a protest last month against the implementation of the Tema Ports Expansion Concession Agreement which is being implemented by Meridian Port Services (MPS).
The Workers led by the General Secretary, Daniel Owusu- Koranteng were in red-attire to signify their displeasure. The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, on May Day, reiterated the need to review the contract to save some 1,400 GPHA jobs.
The public-private partnership between the GPHA and MPS for an expansion of Ghana’s main seaport was launched by Former President John Mahama in 2016.
The port is expected to be the largest cargo port in West Africa, and one of the best in Africa, with a capacity of 3 point.5 million 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) per annum. Due to the semi-automated nature of the new terminal, some manual jobs and offices are expected to be collapsed.
President Akufo-Addo was hopeful the meeting will resolve the lingering issues.