BOST Union Chairman Sacked For Speaking To Media

The chairman of the Professional and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU), Albert Mantey, has been sacked from the Bulk Oil Storage & Transportation Co. Ltd. (BOST) for speaking to the media apparently without authorization. In a letter sighted by GraphicOnline, the Managing Director (MD) of BOST, Kwame Awuah-Darko accused Mr Mantey of breaching the company�s Conditions of Service by speaking to Accra-based Citi FM on the company�s ongoing restructuring exercise and staffing policy without permission from the MD. The letter further stated that Mr. Mantey�s media interview tarnished the image and reputation of BOST, which is in breach of the company�s Clause 9.1.2 of the Conditions of Service. �On 20th April, you spoke with Citi Business News about issues relating to the administrative nature of the company without the permission of the Managing Director. You claimed that a colleague was being "used" (impliedly by the leadership of BOST) and a "hypocrite", and that the Company is at risk of being "overstaffed". These allegations suggest that the restructuring process is flawed and that the Company is being poorly led. �This is a breach of section 10.6 of the BOST Senior and Management Staff Conditions of Service ("COS") with the title "Employee Relation with Public", which states that: �Except with the permission of Managing Director, no Senior Staff may anonymously or otherwise, contribute to or publish in any newspaper, magazine or periodical, anything which may reasonably be regarded as concerning any aspect of the policy or administration of the Company, or Speak in public or broadcast any matter which may be regarded as of administrative nature or concerning the policy of administration of the Company�,� portions of the letter read. Confirming his dismissal on Citi FM, Mr. Mantey said the interview he granted the network did not deal with issues concerning the operations of BOST. �What I said was in direct response to a misrepresentation of the senior staff union because the union had not nominated him to speak on our behalf. It had nothing to do with the company,� he said. Explaining further, he said he had only responded to an allegation made against the staff fraternity of BOST at a press conference organised by one Sackey - a colleague. He said Sackey had made some false allegations against the senior staff of BOST and because he had not been mandated to speak on behalf of the Senior Staff Union, he, Mantey, decided to respond to the said allegations. Mantey who was dismissed on April 28, 2015, expressed regret that other BOST workers who had spoken to the media without authorisation in the past were still at post. He claimed that his dismissal to intimidate members of the Union from voicing out their concerns over the current mismanagement of BOST. �This is a sign of intimidating the staff not to voice out the mismanagement that is happening but I have encouraged my members to stay resolute. This mismanagement will end and so we see this letter as a sign of intimidating them,� he said.