Calm returns to VALCO — Management takes steps to restore full operations
CALM has been restored at the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) following a successful meeting held between the senior management of the company, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the leadership of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU).
Also included in the discussions that led to the return to normalcy was the VALCO local union executives.
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The meeting was held to discuss recent developments in the company.
A release from the company indicated that all parties had agreed to return to the negotiating table to continue and complete their wage negotiations.
The leadership of all the key stakeholders has subsequently signed an undertaking to demonstrate their commitment to the process and lend their full support towards ensuring the resumption of full operations at VALCO.
The parties that signed the undertaking included the Chief Executive Officer of VALCO, Dan Acheampong, Director of HR and Administration at VALCO, Festus Quaidoo, General Secretary for ICU, Morgan Ayawine, and Chairman of the local union, Edgar Tetteh, who were all present at the meeting which was held on November 7, 2022,
Background
VALCO in recent weeks has dominated the media space following labour agitations by some workers who refused some management members entry into the facility, a situation that disrupted operations and led to a planned shutdown of the Aluminium Smelter.
VALCO management in a press statement noted that in line with the board’s directive, they had to work with the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) to take down the power to the operating line in an orderly fashion to save the Smelter in order to allow for a smooth restart.
With calm restored at VALCO, all employees at the facility were expected to be recalled to resume work as their leadership continued the wage negotiation process with the declared objective of an amicable settlement.
