VALCO Workers Lament Low Salaries

Workers of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) have agitated over the continuous reduction in their salaries due to the depreciating rate of the Ghana cedi. The group says the over US$300 dollar per month salary currently being paid in cedi equivalent has not seen any upward adjustments since last year. The group attributes this to
the continuous stay of over 28 retirees at the company, hence the need for management to let them go. Local chairman of the VALCO workers union, Edgar Tetteh spoke to the media on their concerns. We are agitating because we do not want the presence of the retirees here. They are overstretching our finances and because
of them, we are not being given our rightful wages. There is no smelter who is paid less than US$1000 globally but here, we are given US$ 300 Cedi equivalent. The non-management workers are suffering. The current cost of living crisis has forced many worker unions to demand better working conditions. Manufacturers are adopting ways to cut down on operations in the wake of these economic difficulties.