The Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL) has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to save the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority from collapse by reviewing its concession with the Meridian Ports and Services (MPS) especially, on the port expansion project.
The TDCL said it has given the government two-weeks to look into the report of the committee formed by Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia and headed by Mr Daniel Titus Glover, Deputy Minister of Transport, or it will initiate series of action.
They made the appeal on Tuesday during its 2019 first quarter general meeting.
The MPS is expected to start operating the terminal three which is the first phase of the Tema Port Expansion, in June, this year.
Mr Ebenezer Kodwo Taylor, Chairman of TDCL, explained to the Ghana News Agency that "we are not against MPS or the past government, the concession agreement is not in good taste and must be reviewed".
Mr Taylor added that clause 3.2 of the agreement indicated that GPHA could not handle vessels carrying more than 200 containers as any ship loaded with that quantity of containers would go to the terminal three.
He noted that GPHA under the concession was expected to pay MPS 30 per cent of its proceeds from containers it would handle at the terminal which is currently being handled by MPS.
He further said MPS, under the contract, would not pay any royalties to the GPHA for the terminal three even though it would handle almost all the containers that come to the Tema Port.
The chairman added that "all jobs of GPHA, will be taken over by MPS because everything that comes to the port is in container, there will be a sharp fall in the GPHA's revenue which will lead to their inability to pay salaries and maintain the port".
Mr Emmanuel Addo-Kumi, TDCL Secretary, reiterated the need for President Akufo-Addo to urgently call GPHA and MPS to review the agreement saying that over 4,000 direct jobs and 1,500 people were on the line.
Mr Addo-Kumi added that "we can't sit down for this to happen, we will rise up against those clauses if we don't hear from the President within two weeks".