Pressure is mounting on the government to fulfil its commitment to revive PBC Limited as workers of the cocoa purchasing firm reveal they have gone more than 27 months without receiving salaries.
The appeal comes amid growing frustration among employees who say repeated assurances from government officials have yet to translate into meaningful action to rescue the struggling company.
In a statement, workers accused the government of failing to act on promises made to restore PBC Limited to its former position as a leading player in Ghana’s cocoa sector.
The concerns follow public commitments by President John Dramani Mahama and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson to reposition the company and strengthen its role in the cocoa value chain.
According to the workers, however, conditions at the company have continued to deteriorate despite those assurances.
“Workers have gone without salary payment for more than 27 months,” the unions stated, highlighting the severe financial hardship facing employees and their families.
Financial Challenges Continue to Weigh on Operations
The workers said hopes for a turnaround grew during the 2024 election campaign when President Mahama pledged, during visits to cocoa-growing communities, to restore PBC to “its past glory.”
They noted that similar commitments were repeated after the elections and earlier this year, yet the company continues to struggle with inadequate working capital and operational difficulties that have weakened its competitiveness in the cocoa purchasing market.
The unions also raised concerns about the government’s takeover of the Buipe Shea Processing Factory, a wholly owned subsidiary of PBC. While they acknowledged the need for intervention, they argued that the arrangement should not leave the company burdened with related liabilities.
“The facility be returned to PBC LTD, or the associated debt be taken off the books of the company,” the workers appealed.
Employees Describe Severe Hardship
The statement painted a troubling picture of employee welfare, with some drivers reportedly earning about GH¢1,000 monthly, while clerical staff receive between GH¢1,200 and GH¢1,500. Senior staff with advanced qualifications are said to earn between GH¢2,050 and GH¢3,500.
Workers also noted that salary increments have not been implemented for more than a decade, while some casual workers have gone over 36 months without allowances.
In a direct appeal to President Mahama, the unions warned that the prolonged crisis is taking a heavy toll on employees.
“Staff are dying from an inability to afford hospital bills; we cannot pay our wards’ school fees, and feeding our families has become next to impossible,” they said.
As pressure grows, workers are calling on government to move beyond promises and implement concrete measures to revive the company, safeguard jobs and restore confidence in one of Ghana’s historic cocoa institutions.
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