Ghanaians working with the Italian oil and gas giant, ENI, are lamenting over what could be described as modern day slavery treatment meted out on them by their management.
The workers, numbering over 300, could not understand why management of Eni, operators of Ghana’s Sankofa Gye Nyame Oil and gas fields, are behaving that way in their own land.
The workers, through their umbrella body, General Transport, Petroleum & Chemical Workers’ Union of Trades Union Congress Ghana (GTPCWU), have, thus, petitioned Ghana’s upstream regulator Petroleum Commission about the unfair labour practices by Eni Ghana Exploration and Production Limited.
In the petition, the Union complained bitterly that about how Eni’s Ghanaian employees have been denied of job descriptions and salary/job role structure for the past 10 years.
“We have engaged management of Eni Ghana at several scheduled salary negotiation meetings from 4th May, 2018, till date to agree and establish a fair level of salaries for the employees amicably and in good faith.”
The employer has unfortunately demonstrated bad faith and no commitment to this cause. The employer is introducing a modern day form of slavery by discriminating against the Ghanaian employees in terms of unfair remuneration,” a letter written by the Acting Deputy General Secretary of GTPCWU, Francis Sallah said.
For instance, it was shocking to note that the least cost of monthly rent of expatriates in Eni Ghana are more than the monthly gross salaries of Ghanaian 1st line managers.
The annual school fees of their colleagues expatriate’s child in Ghana are more than the annual gross salaries of senior engineers. “Our research team report done last year on Eni Ghana compensations and benefits reveals that about 300 Ghanaian employees (permanent & contractors) annual total labour costs is not up to 5% of the total labour costs of the expatriates colleagues who are just a little over 100. This is unacceptable and affront to the laws of Ghana.
“The Union, therefore, has no option than to call on the Petroleum Commission, the regulator, to be part of the next Standing Negotiating Committee. It is extremely sad and disheartening to note that the Ghanaian workers of Eni are woefully underpaid compared to their expatriate colleagues on the same job in the same company as well as competitors in the industry such as Tullow and Aker.
“This is in clear violation of Eni’s own global policy on compensation and benefits that states that: ‘Our compensation package is complemented by a benefit’s programme in line with our competitors and consistent with local regulations. It aims at to enhance overall compensation with benefits which support our people’s current and long term physical and financial welfare.”
Due to relatively low salary of the Ghanaian employees of Eni Ghana, some of the experienced employees have resigned to other competitors in the industries, which has adversely affected the localisation policy, which is being championed by the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, according to Mr Sallah.
“We believe this does not augur well for the young petroleum industry in Ghana to train and develop competent and experience Ghanaian workforce to take over the management of the resources in the near future.”
The Union understands the strategic importance of the Sankofa and Gye Nyame Integrated Oil and Gas project to the partners and the Republic of Ghana, and does not want to take unfavourable industrial actions that will affect the success of the project.
Therefore, the GTPCWU implores the Petroleum Commission to use its regulatory mandates provided under Section 3(a) of the Petroleum Commission Act, 2011 (Act 821) and Local Content and Local Participation Regulation, 2013 (Legislative Instrument 2204) to enforce Article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 68 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) with the Ministry of Energy as the supervising ministry to ensure Ghanaian nationals and employees working in Eni receive fair and equal pay for equal work without distinction of any kind.
A meeting held on Monday 15 October, 2018, ended in a dead lock as both parties could not reach agreement because the employer unfortunately demonstrated bad faith and no commitment to this cause.
Management of ENI have indicated to energynewsafrica.com that they would be issuing a response to the statement of the GTPCWU.
