Ghanaian workers engaged by SINOHYRO Company, the Chinese firm building the 622-million dollar Bui hydro-electric dam in the Brong-Ahafo Region are up in arms against their employers over low remuneration and alleged maltreatment. Numbering about 70, the workers said that their employers have failed to provide them with safety working gear, canteen services and proper accommodation. Besides they are often physically abused. Their protestations were made on Thursday, when members of the Brong-Ahafo branch of the Ghana Journalists Association made a familiarisation tour of the site located at Bui Village in the Tain District. Their spokesman, Kwame Tawiah, a crane operator, told the journalists that labourers work for nine hours a day and paid only GH¢3 while drivers receive GH¢4. At the time of the visit by the journalists, most of the labourers engaged in the construction of office blocks, residential accommodation, excavation work and concrete mixing, were working without protective boots, gloves or overalls. The spokesman said the remote construction site lacks canteen services to provide food for the workers, adding that some 18 labourers who live at the site, sleep in make-shift cubicles, some of them on the bare floor because there are not enough mattresses. Mr Tawiah, said workers who absent themselves on health grounds for more than three days are summarily dismissed. Some Chinese supervisors, he alleged also kick and hit their Ghanaian subordinates without any provocation in the course of work. He said this unfair treatment, violates the country’s labour laws and urged the authorities concerned to come to their aid. But, Godfred Boateng, Project Manager of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), expressed surprise at the workers’ complaints saying that although his outfit had some information on the issues raised, he expected the workers to approach management for redress rather than to go to the media. He said the BPA did not recruit the workers directly but since it has oversight responsibility for the project, it will take the matter up. He said the project is facing a lot of teething problems and appealed to the workers to exercise restraint. He assured them that the BPA will ensure that SINOHYRO complies with the labour laws. The project director of SINOHYRO, Yang Yixin, confirmed that drivers and labourers are being paid GH¢4 and GH¢3 respectively but said that is above the minimum wage. "Every worker is paid overtime allowance as required by law," he said. He said plans were underway to provide the workers with protective gear, but added that the company is not obliged to provide accommodation, for workers. "After all, some of them are living in better accommodation here than most of the villagers around," he said. Source: The Ghanaian Times