The Board of Directors of New Times Corporation has condemned the industrial action embarked by workers on Monday demanding the removal of the company’s Managing Director Carol Annan.
In a statement, the Board of Directors described the action of the workers as “unwarranted” and “unfortunate”, adding that negotiations are currently ongoing to resolve the grievances being raised by the workers.
Staff of the Corporation on Monday September 18, 2017, halted business activities there, protesting poor conditions of service and managerial incompetence.
They locked up offices at the company and poured out onto the streets to demand the MD’s removal.
In July this year, the company under the leadership of Carol Annan, embarked on a massive re-branding drive which she believed would improve the operations of the state media organization.
However, barely 3 months after the re-branding exercise, the workers are accusing her of broken promises and a deliberate attempt to collapse the company.
“We are suffering at the New Times corporation. Our conditions of service are bad. The managing director has not fulfilled her promises, everything has come to a standstill,” the leader of the protesting staff told Starr News’ Emmanuel Gbikpo who monitored the demonstration
“We pay 117,000 to graphic to print our papers every day, that huge amount is paid to them every day just to print our papers. Things are not working for us here at Times,” added the leader.
Joining the protesting staff to lay bare their grievances, the General Secretary ICU Solomon Kotei said, “We shall ensure that she [Carol Annag] will not step a foot back into this company.”
But a statement by the Board of Directors after an emergency meeting Monday said “the action of the workers is unfortunate and unwarranted, as neither the Board nor the Management has failed or refused to engage with the workers through the Union representatives to find solution to the issues or concerns being raised.
“As a matter of fact negotiations are on-going between Management and leaders of the Union. It is therefore unfortunate that whilst negotiations are on-going the workers are resorting to a strike action without any notice to Management as required by the Labour Act.
“The Board of Directors wish to reiterate its commitment to ensuring a cordial working environment.
“The Board further wish to state that it has full confidence in the Management of New Times Corporation in resolving the matter.”
The Board called on the leaders of the union to use the required process to “resolve the issues instead of resorting to industrial action.”
