Expresso workers give telco ultimatum over unpaid wages

Workers of Telecommunications Company Expresso is pressing on management of the telco to pay them all arrears owed them by the 1^st week of October, 2016 or face their wrath.

The development follows the inability of the company to settle workers salaries for over 18 months.

In a bid to drum home their concerns the workers this morning [Wednesday] held a protest at the company's headquarters.

The workers with red bands clad around their wrists said they were forced to embark on the protest because of the company’s silence on the matter.

‘If they can't pay us they should tell us so we go. I'm left with one year to go on pension and yet look at my situation. Nobody is telling us anything. We are human; they should at least respect that and explain issues to us. But they choose to keep mute on the matter. We come in every morning, go back when the day is over. Such is the routine as we are still working’. One of the workers told Citi Business News’ Jessica Ayorkor Aryee who was at the headquarters this morning.

According to some of the workers the none payment of their wages has pushed them into debt.

‘It's over so many months now and you know now with this new credit bureau system if you don't pay your bank loan for some time, they will blacklist you and it goes against you the person. We owe the banks; we have to service the loans.

It's affecting me in so many ways, my family, our rent, our land lords are on our necks and some of us have even been evicted. Our children are home because we cannot pay their fees, water bills have all jammed up and we are unable to pay because of that ECG has disconnected our lights’.

Meanwhile the workers want management to pay at least one third of the accrued salary arrears, SSNIT, Provident Fund, 2^nd Tier, Medicare among others by 1^st week of October or face their wrath.

Local Union Secretary of the company Edward Anane told Citi Business News ‘ we are telling management to settle at least one third of the accrued salary, SSNIT, etc by the first week of October. We will not wait. We have held the fort for so long and since our approach to management has not yielded anything we will take the next step’.

Efforts to reach management of the company on the matter proved futile.

Expresso challenges
Expresso has been facing financial and operational challenges for years.

The telecom operator has been struggling to secure an investor for some time now, the development has led to a reduction in Expresso's market share to about 0.36% as at the first quarter of this year.

Earlier some players within the telecom industry warned that the company risks folding up if it fails to find an investor soon.

NCA to revoke Expresso's license
The National Communications Authority (NCA) earlier told Citi Business News it had begun the processes to revoke the license of Expresso.

According to the NCA's Director for Engineering Henry Kanor the prolonged inactivity of Expresso is affecting industry stakeholders and creating a shortfall in the revenue targets of the regulator and government.

In an interview with Citi Business News, Henry Kanor said there will be a policy statement on Expresso shortly if it fails to get an investor to invest in the company soon.

“We have a regulatory regime that is enshrined in their license and so we gave triggered that and a discussion has to be taken in that regard. I should think that is why they are now seriously looking for investors to come invest in the company.” Henry Kanor stated that “The status quo cannot remain the same for long, we want to make sure that customers get the best services, we want to get revenues for government and as regulator we need revenue to survive.”

By:  Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews/Ghana