Workers of the Volta River Authority (VRA) have suspended their planned industrial action to protest moves by government to cede some thermal plants of the company to external parties.
This is according to the Deputy Power Minister, John Jinapor.
The external parties include the AMERI group, Sunon-Asogli and the Ghana Power Generation Company(GPGC).
Mr. Jinapor told the media after meeting with the staff unions of VRA, that the strike had been called off due to plans of a scheduled meeting on 15th August with key stakeholders to address the concerns raised.
“There will not be any strike. On the 15th of this month, we shall have a meeting here. The Ministry of Finance will be a part of it, the Board of VRA will be part of it as well as the Energy Commission and some other stakeholders, ” he said.
John Jinapor also spoke on the criticisms brought by VRA workers to cede the T3 plant to external parties and revealed plans by the Power Ministry to ultimately return the plant back to the VRA.
“Our objective is to strategically position VRA. Our objective is to invest in VRA and get the private sector to partner with them. We are not giving out the T3 plant. We took some decisions to bring in a strategic partner. Ultimately we intend sending the T3 plant to VRA but we haven’t made that decision yet,” he said.
Notice of strike
Staff of the VRA had served a notice to their Chief Executive, intending to “embark on a series of legitimate actions effective Thursday 4th August 2016.”
In the notice, VRA also stated that“we wish to state equivocally that we are vehemently opposed to the overt and covert actions of the Ministry of Power which are in clear breach of section 2, Act 46, which establishes the Authority as an autonomous institution”
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By: Kwabena Agyare/citifmonline.com/Ghana