Regional News of Wednesday, 29 May 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

Dumsor scare as industrial unrest hits TICO, TAQA

The workers want the General manager and the resident plant Manager to be reassigned The workers want the General manager and the resident plant Manager to be reassigned

Power rationing which hit the country some months ago could return following an industrial unrest at TICO and TAQA at Aboadze in the Shama district of the Western region.

TAQA is an international energy and water company listed in Abu Dhabi operating in 11 countries across four continents.

Empire News’ Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan who has intercepted copies of some letters written to the board of the company on May 24th this year, reports that the workers, both junior and senior staff of the Shama-based power producer wants the General manager Ernest Osafo and the resident plant Manager Nellissery Krishman reassigned for what the workers termed as managerial deficiencies at its peak at TICO & TAQA.

According to the disenchanted workers, Mr Osafo’s failure to adhere to safety and maintenance procedures contributed to recent power outages.

Speaking on Morning Starr Wednesday, a union member who spoke on condition of anonymity told Ohene-Gyan that “on the 19th of September 2018 at about 13:59hrs, upon advising management about the 205 bar hydraulic oil leakage on the Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) 32 by pass stop valve, and the need to shut down and repair the leaks, management put deaf ear to this advice all in the name of achieving high availability and kept the unit running till there was a fire outbreak which engulfed the entire area of the valve ”

The workers who resolved to get Mr Osafo and Krishman reassigned wore red arm band to work on Friday, May 17th 2019 without disrupting work but that decision did not go down well with Management hence interdicting all seven union members of the company.

According to reports, the entire work force upon picking information of an intended interdiction of their leaders are also planning to lay down their tools until their union leaders are reinstated.