ASARE ORIGINAL PAY-ALL WORKERS ON SIT-DOWN STRIKE (PAGE 20)

WORKERS of Asare Original Pay All Lotto Company in Kumasi have begun a sit-down strike as a result of unpaid salaries.
About 150 workers in red arm-bands told the Daily Graphic at the company’s office at Asawase in Kumasi that they would return to work only when they were paid their accumulated salaries.
A spokesman for the workers, Mr Peter Boateng, said workers' salaries covering the period between five months and three years had remained outstanding.
He said in spite of the representations made to the Managing Director, Mr Stephen Asare, he had not taken any steps to pay the outstanding salaries.
Mr Boateng further indicated that the workers had taken the matter to the National Labour Commission but they were yet to receive any positive response.
When contacted, the Ashanti Regional Manager of the company, Mr Felix Akpalia, admitted that the company owed the workers, and explained that somewhere in 2005, there were heavy wins which affected the finances of the company.
Consequently, management could not pay salaries for five months, and explained the financial difficulties of the company to the workers.
According to him, all efforts were being made to pay the five months’ accumulated salaries and other outstanding arrears to the workers.
Mr Akpalia, therefore, urged the workers to exercise restraint as management made the necessary arrangements to solve the problem.