The wage disagreements between cocoa carriers and their employers at the Apowa commodity park which resulted in the grounding of over 1,500 fully loaded cocoa trucks has failed to be resolved.
Over 950,000 bags of cocoa are currently left at the mercy of the weather (heat and dew) as the labourers rejected the 20GHp offer by their employers after the intervention of Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The carriers are demanding an increase from the current GH₵18.00 daily rate to GH₵35.00 or 50GHp per bag or no work.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, one of the leaders of the group, Egya K. Kwesi said initially they were paid GH₵18 or 10GHp per bag which resulted in the withdrawal of service.
“It was interesting to note that while our employers rejected our call for increment, our employers imported labour from Tema and paid them 50GHp per bag, which was more than what we were asking for,” he said.
“We then went and spoke with the gangs from Tema, and they reasoned with us and withdrew their service, therefore, if our employers can afford to pay 50GHp why are they not paying us?” he said.
He said others receive better service conditions carrying the same 64-kilogram of cocoa.
However at the crunch meeting, which ended late Wednesday, the COCOBOD said it was not in a position to increase the wages for the cocoa carriers.
According to the Head of Public Affairs of COCOBOD, Mr. Noah Amenyah, COCOBOD would rather improve upon the conditions at the commodity village for the cocoa carriers, drivers and their mates.
He said the wages of the cocoa carriers would not be increased or reviewed since it had already done so in October last year.
As part of the improved condition, Mr Amenyah said COCOBOD had also agreed to provide transport services that would convey the cocoa carriers to and from the Commodity Village, to ease transportation cost that was previously borne by the cocoa carriers.
The carriers he said would also be provided with water and improved sanitation.
The COCOBOD he said was not supposed to be part of the crunch meeting between the cocoa carriers and their employers, however, the issue had to be resolved to ensure that the trucks were taken care of.
Mr Amenyah said the leaders of the carriers were expected to respond to the propositions to indicate either an acceptance or not.
Backgroud
The cocoa carriers had refused to resume work after they went on Christmas holidays due to poor wages and general conditions of service at the commodity village at Apowa.
Their strike then resulted in more than 1,500 fully loaded trucks currently stranded at the truck terminal in the Ahanta West District months after they arrived from the hinterlands.
