The Management of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Ghana, is expected to officially respond to the concerns raised by some employees kicking against the removal of the company’s Managing Director, Seth Adu-Baah.
The workers, in addition to a petition to the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, have embarked on series of protests since last Friday, accusing the company of maltreating Ghanaian managers.
The Public Affairs and Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Ghana, Bethel Yeboah, has told Citi Business News they should be able to resolve all concerns by close of day on Thursday, January 30, 2020.
“Meetings and discussions have been going on. Regardless of the strike, all parties involved would have to sit at the table and dialogue and seek to have a resolution on all issues in an amicable way. We will put out an official communication today [Thursday],” he stated.
‘Wrong’ move
The workers of the company have since last week embarked on a series of protests to show their displeasure to the dismissal of their Managing Director, Seth Adu-Baah, who they credit for transforming the fortunes of Coca-Cola Bottling Ghana.
The workers accused the company of maltreating Ghanaian managers, claiming Mr. Adu-Baah’s instrumental role in the company’s growth does not deserve a dismissal.
The Assistant Secretary of the local chapter of the company’s Industrial and Commercial Workers Union, George Gyimah Sarpong, told Citi Business News the workers will resist the appointment of a new Managing Director.
According to the workers, Felix Gomez, the Senegalese MD for West African countries instigated Mr. Adu-Baah’s removal. They have vowed to resist any new MD who may be appointed.
“We want to send a clear and a strong signal to the President, to the Minister of Trade and Industry, that there’s this man called Felix Gomez, whose agenda is to lay off all Ghanaian managing directors in executive positions in Coca Cola. He has done that in Liberia, he has succeeded in that in Sierra Leone and in The Gambia, but we are saying no way in Ghana.
We will indeed be citizens and not spectators. He also wants to lay off 150 staff, and this current MD protested strongly that he was not going to allow, and he refused to sign, and because of that he has been asked to resign, and we are saying no Seth no work, and indeed we are going to stand by this resolution”.
About Seth Adu-Baah
Seth Adu-Baah, who has worked with the company for 18 years, has served as MD of Coca Cola in Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Ghana before he was allegedly forced out of the company by the Regional Head of the company this week.
The roles he has served in, have given him wide-ranging experience in all aspects of financial management and control, and crucially, supply chain management, and involved liaising with banks, external auditors, tax authorities and consultants.