African Sun breaches deadline on its indebtedness in Ghana
The African Sun Amber Hotel has breached an undertaking it gave to pay about GH¢252,000 in severance package to former workers of the hotel by December 15, 2015 deadline.
The management of the hotel signed an MoU with the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of Ghana representative of the workers on November 30, 2015.
On November 3, 2015 the GRAPHIC BUSINESS published a story highlighting the plight of about 60 workers of African Sun Amber Hotel in Ghana.
The management of the African Sun Amber Hotel located in the Airport City in Accra, shut down its operation in Ghana, on August 31, last year but had since not settled its indebtedness to the workers, in the form of severance package and leave allowance among other things.
African Sun is an international hospitality company with branches all over Africa and headquartered in Zimbabwe.
This situation is, however, generating anger among the workers who said they were currently threatened and intimidated by the presence of the new owner IBIS Style Hotel.
Speaking to the paper in Accra, the local union chairman of the hotel, Mr Jairus Abormegah, said all attempts to get the management to settle the indebtedness had proved futile after the December 15, deadline.
“We have tried on a number of occasions to ascertain the reason behind the delay, but the management at the headquarters in Zimbabwe said because of the huge amount involved, they are facing challenges with the transfer,” he said.
Aggrieved employees
Some aggrieved employees who narrated their ordeal to the paper said they had not been paid their overtime since 2013 but were forced to work on holidays and weekends under threat.
“Majority of us have not been allowed to embark on our annual leave over a 23 months period, but remuneration for those outstanding leave days have not been paid.
“Our probation salaries which management told us would be increased when we become permanent staff were never increased. Meanwhile, one person in the hotel is forced do the work of three people.
“They knew the company was about to fold up but kept it to themselves only to break the news to us a week before closing the hotel,” one of the workers who was fired by the new employers indicated.”
Hotel refuse opportunity to respond
When the paper contacted the Managing Director (MD) of the hotel at the headquarters in Zimbabwe, Mr Edwin Shangwa, he earlier agreed to respond to the issues via email that he provided.
But had since refused to respond nor answer calls his mobile phone over a week the email was sent to him. — GB