Some workers and sub-contractors of DHL Supply Chain, a member of the DHL Group of Companies, are aggrieved over what they described as unfair treatment meted out to them by management in Tema.

The employees claimed management had ordered them to work 72 hours every week instead of 40 hours as stipulated in the labour laws and added that they work overtime without adequate compensation.

They alleged that whenever they complain, management threatens them with dismissal.

They claimed the decision to ask them to work 72 hours weekly was made without their consent (some are running 12-hour shifts).

They singled out Jan Basson, Country Manager for DHL Supply Chain for blame.

The employees claimed there has been a very high worker turnover due to enormous pressure on them.

“Lashing boys, traffic marshals, stock marshals and line checkers are complaining bitterly about their conditions of service,” they claimed.

Some sub-contractors also claimed they had not been paid for almost a year after rendering services to DHL Supply Chain.

“When you go to them for your cheque, they can ask you to wait for hours and sometimes you go back empty-handed.

“Our businesses are collapsing as a result of their refusal to pay us for work done. They are suing our assets to work for them but getting our money has been difficult,” the sub-contractors claimed.

Rebuttal

Since BUSINESS GUIDE set out to ascertain the veracity of the allegations about a month ago, the bureaucratic approach adopted by DHL Supply Chain officials has made the investigations difficult.

However, Belinda Tan, Senior Director, Corporate Communications for DHL Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (APEEMEA) based in Singapore after several correspondences said, “With reference to your e-mail to our colleagues in Ghana (email appended below), please find here a statement for your use attributed to a ‘DHL Spokesperson.

“DHL Supply Chain Ghana has been informed of a number of allegations pertaining to employment issues. We take such allegations seriously and require an opportunity to investigate them. If you have any further inquiries, please refer them to me.”