Some Ghanaian workers of the Ghana Household Utilities Manufacturing Company Limited (GHUMCO) in Takoradi in the Western region have accused the factory manager Mr. Zhu and other Chinese managers of trampling on their human rights by forcing them to apologize to their dogs.
According to the workers, most of them have suffered dog bites at the premises of the company without any medical treatment or protection from the company.
The aggrieved workers who spoke to Empire News said strangely any worker who complains of dog bite is forced to write an apology letter to the dog or will be dismissed.
“If the Chinese managers open their dogs in the night and they bite the workers and you complain, the Chinese owners will ask you to write a letter and apologise to the dog,” a staff told Empire News’ Emmanuel Ohene Gyan.
The poor workers also lamented that there has been no payment of allowances and compensation to injured workers adding that there are poor safety measures at the factory, poor salaries coupled with long working hours.
The Western Regional Labour Officer Elizabeth Acquah speaking to Empire News said managers of the Chinese company were advised as far back as last year to remove the dogs from the company’s premises and could not understand why the dogs were still around.
She hinted that the regional Security Council will be informed to take the necessary action to ensure the safety of the Ghanaian workers.
“I will ensure that this thing stops immediately…because dogs cannot be biting human beings and then human beings will then be asked to write apology letters to the dogs. They were under instruction to remove the dogs. If they don’t we will report to the regional Security Council.
“It is not allowed, it is an infringement of their work rights and dehumanisation of the workforce, it is not allowed. I will report to the ICU so we take action on this issue.”