Laborers numbering up to 20, on Monday, October 19, blocked a Sub-Contractor from having access to his project materials, in protest to demand the payment of their salary arrears.
The Sub-Contractor, who was working on the Tindonmolgo-Dorongo stretch of road in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, went to the project site in the early hours of the day to convey some of the project materials but was met with fierce resistance from the aggrieved workers.
Leadership of the laborers said their action followed the contractor’s failure to fully pay varied sums of money in arrears owed them; close to a month.
Anger and frustration summed their mood when they spoke on A1 Radio.
One of the laborers who claimed was owed a little over Ghc1,000.00, said “Am from Kumasi and only came here to do construction work but here I am; no money to feed myself.”
“The Contractor should either pay me my money or share the cement bags with me because I will not tolerate any that. Just look at my age, 56years; and I will come and carry concrete and you will refuse to pay me.” Another laborer lamented.
But Rockson Obonai, who works as the Sub-Contractor to Katham Five Company Limited, pointed out that he was unable to pay some of the laborers because he had also not been paid by the contructor for the work being done.
He said “I have not been paid how or where will I get the money to pay you all. Besides, if I get paid by my boss, I will also come and pay you people.”
“My being here this morning is to get some of the materials to a more secure zone. I heard that thieves are selling some of the cement bags reason I’m here to convey the cement to a more secure place.” He added.
Responding however to the development, Project Manager for Katham Five Company Limited, Ahmed Nabia, denied the claims of nonpayment of arrears owed the sub-contractor.
He said, “We do not owe anyone, we have employed sub-contractors and those people we have paid them. So if they do not pay their laborers, it is up to them. But we will surely look at it and address it appropriately.”
Mr. Nabia further noted that his company had not abandoned the site but will soon resume work on the project to meet the 18 months period given.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Moses Apiah/Ghana
