MDWU wants PSC Shipyard handed over to GPHA

But the Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, when contacted, said the government was yet to take a decision on the GPHA’s proposal.

She also denied that the government was negotiating with Tullow Oil for the company to take over the management of the shipyard, saying Tullow had only submitted proposals for consideration to enable it to build another FPSO.

On why the Managing Director of PSC Tema Shipyard, Mr Seth Kugblenu, was still at post at the age of 76, Ms Attivor said he was holding onto the post in a caretaker position.

Mr Kugblenu, for his part, denied that the company was outsourcing jobs to foreign firms.

On the issue of his age, he reminded the workers that the company was not part of the government machinery for him to retire at the age of 60.

“If I am above the retiring age of 60, what is the problem? Go and ask the Ministry of Transport why I am still at post,” he fumed.

But the union stated that the management of PSC Tema Shipyard was outsourcing jobs to foreign companies because it had failed to secure the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) certification for the workers.

ABS certification is a specified international standards classification awarded to employees to enable them to work on the construction, development and repair of vessels and offshore facilities.

The General Secretary of the MDWU, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, said the union was even more concerned about ongoing processes underway to hand over the PSC’s workshop to oil producing giant Tullow Ghana.

“The government must establish Ghana’s control through the GPHA to enable the company to run competently and profitably, since it is likely to raise more revenue than oil when developed and positioned strategically,” he said, adding that any further foreign collaboration might end up short-changing the government, as was the case with the Malaysians.

The Vice-Chairman of the workers union, Mr Eric Tibu, wondered why Mr Kugblenu, who was a member of the investigative committee that recommended that the government collaborate with a local investor to rescue PSC Tema Shipyard from further deterioration and strengthen its capacity to offer services in the oil sector, was resisting moves by the GPHA to that effect.

When the Daily Graphic toured the factory premises last Tuesday, the company’s fabrication workshop had been rented out to a Peruvian company and officials were busily constructing skiff boats.

Skiff boats are smaller high performance boats which are put on board bigger vessels and are often used as leisure or fishing boats.

Story by Della Russel Ocloo