NCAP affirms support for workers of GWCL

The National Coalition against Privatization of Water, (NCAP) has reiterated that social management and ownership of Ghana’s water resources and water services is the only way to ensure real accountability in the interest of Ghanaians and not the profits of a minority.
It stated that the successful operation of the Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWCL) in the public interest requires much greater levels of public accountability and transparency than what the country has had in the past.
“The costly privatization of the management of water has not and will not lead to an improvement in water supply, improve water quality or an increase in connections.”
At a press briefing in Accra to affirm its total support for workers of Aqua Vitens Rand Ltd, (AVRL) and GWCL in their current struggle for better wages and working conditions, the Acting Coordinator of NCAP, Mr. Gyekye Tanoh stated it is important to link the right to safe and affordable water for all Ghanaians with the right to decent wages and conditions of the water workers.
He described as appalling the existing conditions of workers alongside the exorbitant salaries being paid to the eight expatriate staff who receive an average of $20,000 a month (¢184 million). “These eight individuals will be rewarded to the tune of around ¢121 billion, a figure which NCAP says does not even include performance bonuses.
NCAP argues that the workers should earn more because before AVRL assumed management of urban water supply last year, government laid off over half of the staff, (1,600 workers) in order to cut costs and to prepare the way for the promised efficiency of AVRL. “Logically, this means that the remaining 1400 water workers today carry at least twice the work load that they did before the take over”, NCAP argues.
Again, the 1400 workers who were forcibly transferred to AVRL did not enjoy the termination benefits that would normally be paid after being forced from one employer to another. Government has frozen workers training, pay increases and promotion for years because of the impending privatization.
Mr. Tanoh emphasized that workers of the company should not be blamed for the country’s woes in water delivery as their activities are only a coping mechanism, since their bosses have left them at the bottom with nothing.
He called on all Ghanaians to support the water workers in their fight for decent wages and conditions and to build on the support to broaden and advance the fight against the unwholesome domination of the water sector by a tiny but rich and powerful interest which is consolidating its monopoly through the various on-going and planned privatization mechanisms.
“We cannot have a decent water service without Ghanaian water workers. But we can have a decent water service without AVRL and any other set of private managers.”
According to NCAP, the current management team has a dubious track record. Their Director of Operations, Cliff Stone was said to be the manager of a water privatization project in Tanzania which failed so badly that the government of that country closed it down and cancelled the contract.
The Acting Coordinator questioned why in spite of the wholly negative impact of AVRL, managers have received a pay rise between 600% and 1,000% compared to their Ghanaian predecessors in the same jobs.
In NCAP’s opinion, the increase in revenue collection is not due to better motivation of staff, greater job security or improved technology or management systems.
“The simple reason for this discrepancy is the increase in water tariffs collections. So while the revenue from the Ghana Urban Water Supply is increasing the number of disconnections rises, fewer people have access to clean, safe water and the water worker’s conditions are going from bad to worse.”
Dr. Steve Manteaw of the Integrated social Development Centre, (ISODEC), a member of the Coalition observed that management contracts do not work and have not worked anywhere. He cited country’s such as Senegal and Tanzania where such contracts have failed, wondering why Ghana should embrace it.
“We need a proof anywhere in the world where management contract has been able to salvage enterprises. In Ghana we have our own examples of failed management contract namely Ghana Airways and Ghana Telecom”
In recent times, there have been media reports of threats of industrial action by workers of GWCL. On January 29, 2007, workers from the Accra -Tema District gathered at the headquarters Annex of the company near the flagstaff house to register their displeasure at the 20% salary increase being offered by management, instead of their request for 80%.
They were also unhappy about the alleged delay in negotiations for conditions of service which began in November last year.
Mrs. Rosaline Obeng Ofori regretted that water is being sold as a commodity to deny people their right to life and called for an engagement between government, civil society and the media to ensure better decision making.