Glo Ghana accused of coercive redundancy tactics and labor law violations

Glo Ghana stands accused of employing machiavellian tactics as it concludes its operations in the country.

Over 70 workers are purportedly being compelled to accept meager redundancy packages under questionable circumstances.

Recent reports reveal a troubling saga, as Glo allegedly employs a private recruitment agency, XL Management, to coerce workers into signing termination letters that shield the company from labor-related lawsuits.

This move, described as “Machiavellian,” starkly contradicts Glo’s earlier assurances to the National Labour Commission (NLC) of compliance with labor laws.

The termination letters reportedly indemnify the company and require workers to forgo legal action in exchange for severance packages unilaterally determined by Glo.

Workers claim to have faced subtle threats, with the company insinuating that refusal to sign would result in the forfeiture of severance packages.

Computation Confusion

It is not clear how Glo computed the severance packages, but Techfocus24 gathered that someone whose monthly take home pay was GHS2,050 got a little over GHS22,000 as his redundancy package, while another person whose monthly take home pay was over GHS3,000 rather got GHS12,000.

By law, Glo was supposed to either sit and negotiate the redundancy packages with workers or, by precedence, use four basic elements to determine the quantum of the package.

The four elements are:

a. 3 months net salary multiplied by the number of working years

b. Leave component

c. Transportation component

d. Handshake

Even if Glo had refused to pay the transportation and handshake components, a worker with a net salary of GHS2,050, who has worked with Glo for 2010 – 2023 should have walked away with over GHS80,000, but that person was given only GHS22,000.

The workers believe they have been defrauded by Glo as the severance package was not negotiated and its computation woefully fall short of the minimum they expected.

NLC has meanwhile, completely washed its hands off the case as Glo treats Ghanaians who have worked for the company for between 10 and 14 years without salary increment, as though they are some beggars.

According to the workers they earlier tried to seek redress at the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization as well as the National Communications Authority (NCA) but to no avail.

Techfocus24 contacted NCA and they said “We have not received any formal complaint from former Ghanaian Glo workers; when we do, we will act on it accordingly.”

Techfocus24 also reached out to a spokesperson of Glo Ghana and his response was simply that he is not aware of this development so he cannot comment.