The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson has assured that additional jobs will be created when full implementation of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) compact 2 project starts.

The assurance follows agitations and uncertainties among workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) that the implementation of the US$498.2 million project, which is targeted at addressing challenges in energy sector, will cause job losses at the country’s state-owned electricity distribution firm.

As such, the remarks of Ambassador Jackson is expected to calm nerves at the ECG, which he explained will witness an increase in employees to meet the expected job demand when the new private managers take over the company under a concessionary arrangement.

Speaking at the 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the American Chamber of Commerce, Ambassador Jackson said the staff of ECG should rest assured of their job security, which he said is guaranteed for the first five years of the compact.

“I don’t think that any worker of ECG will lose their job as the compact comes into force. What I can say for certain is it that the compact makes it clear that during the first five years of the compact, probably until 2022, every worker has his or her job guaranteed unless the person commits a crime or any serious misconduct. So for the next five years their employment is guaranteed.”

The Ambassador who was the guest and main speaker at the AGM of the American Chamber of Commerce rhetorically inquired if any employee in the country was guaranteed employment for the next five year saying: “is your employment guaranteed for the next five years?”

“So they (staff of ECG) have got a good deal. Secondly if the company is going to grow, there are going to more people not fewer. I don’t have a crystal ball but my intuition is that the ECG workers are going to have new colleagues.”

Ambassador Jackson said he was convinced that the new arrangement to give out the management of the ECG under concessionary arrangements was very good for Ghana as it will make the company efficient technically, financially and operational.

PUWU position on compact II

The Public Utilities and Workers Union (PUWU), the union body of workers of ECG is concerned the concession arrangement will lead to, among other things, redundancy, hence, their disapproval of the move to allow private participation in the management of ECG.

In kicking against the concession arrangement, the General Secretary of the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU), Michael Adumatta Nyantakyi, recently stated “we do hereby reiterate that this policy decision is not the best option for Ghana and the position of the staff of ECG under the Public Utility Workers Union has been clearly articulated in our position paper issued in the early part of 2015. This policy is not the best option to bring reforms to make ECG more efficient and profitable.”

“We have already articulated our views and suggestion in our position paper to MiDA and the Ministry of Power. Unfortunately, the government of Ghana, with tacit pressure from the MCC of the United States of America, is still pushing this agenda despite all the negative implications for our country and its citizens,” he said.

The government in its quest to restructure and streamline the operations of the power provider, ECG, disclosed it is going to allow for private sector participation to allow the national power distributor to make profit and provide quality of service to its clients.