The Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU)-Ghana has intensified its opposition to the alleged sale of the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), staging a protest to demand that the government abandon any plans to transfer ownership of the state-owned aluminium producer.

The demonstration comes amid growing concerns among sections of VALCO's workforce, who have, since January 2026, maintained that the company is being positioned for sale under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah. The workers have also renewed calls for his dismissal.

Although GIADEC has repeatedly denied claims that VALCO is being sold, insisting instead that it is exploring a co-ownership arrangement with a private sector partner, the assurances have done little to allay the fears of organised labour.

The ICU says it remains unconvinced that the proposed arrangement will adequately protect workers' interests and the long-term future of the company.

Addressing demonstrators on Monday, July 27, ICU-Ghana General Secretary Morgan Ayawine said the protest was intended to defend jobs and safeguard one of Ghana's most significant state-owned enterprises.

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"July 27, 2026, is a great day. It is a day for the determination of our destiny as patriotic citizens of this country. We are here to determine the fate of one of the premier companies that was bequeathed by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to all of us," he said.

Mr Ayawine argued that governments over the years had consistently sought to divest state assets, warning that VALCO should not become the latest casualty of such efforts.

"It has been noticed that over the years, government after government has attempted to sell everything, and now they are at it again, and they want to sell VALCO."

He stressed that the union's actions were driven by the need to protect employment rather than by political considerations.

"We are not here to do politics. We are not partisan politicians. We are labour unions, and our duty is to ensure that jobs are created," he stated.

While GIADEC insists that discussions are centred on attracting a strategic private investor through a co-ownership model rather than an outright sale, union leaders say they will continue to resist any arrangement they believe could compromise workers' welfare or the country's ownership of a key industrial asset.