The Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) Ghana has intensified opposition to what it believes are plans to sell the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), with hundreds of workers and union members taking to the streets to demand guarantees over the future of the state owned aluminium producer.
The demonstration, held on Monday, July 27, comes after months of growing unease among employees who claim VALCO is being positioned for a change in ownership.
The concerns have persisted since January, with some workers accusing the leadership of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) of steering the company towards a sale. They have also renewed calls for the removal of GIADEC Chief Executive Officer Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah.
Union rejects assurances
GIADEC has repeatedly denied claims that VALCO is being sold, maintaining that its objective is to secure a co ownership arrangement with a private sector investor rather than dispose of the company outright. Those explanations have done little to calm the union.
Addressing the protesters, ICU Ghana General Secretary Morgan Ayawine described the march as a defining moment in the effort to protect a strategic national asset.
"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." Morgan Ayawine
Jobs at the centre of dispute
Ayawine argued that the union's position is driven by the need to protect employment rather than politics. He accused successive governments of attempting to divest state owned enterprises and warned that VALCO should not become the next casualty.
"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 said.
"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." - Morgan Ayawine
The protest adds fresh pressure on GIADEC to convince workers that its plans for VALCO will preserve both the company's future and the livelihoods of the thousands who depend on it.
READ ALSO: MTN Ghana, Kasapreko Drive GH¢10.88m Ghana Stock Exchange Turnover
