The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has rejected allegations of abuse of power, intimidation and victimisation levelled against its Director-General, Rev. Stephen Wilfred Auther, by the Ghana Air Traffic Safety Electronics Association (GhATSEA).
The Authority said the allegations, including claims that National Security personnel were being used to intimidate staff, were unfounded and did not reflect the circumstances surrounding recent developments at the Authority.
In a statement issued by the GCAA and copied to The Ghanaian Times, the Authority said the dispute followed a directive by the leadership of GhATSEA asking its members not to attend to faults or handle equipment in the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) rooms at the airports in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Sunyani.
The association’s leadership, it said, had also informed its members that the safety of the country’s airspace could not be guaranteed.
The GCAA explained that the directive came after the National Labour Commission (NLC) ruled against a proposed strike by the association.
According to the Authority, the NLC ruled that GhATSEA did not have the capacity under the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), to declare a strike or negotiate conditions of service.
The Commission, it added, also found the association’s strike notice to be procedurally defective and prohibited under Regulations 20(e) and (h) of the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1833.
The GCAA said it was against this background that security personnel were deployed to some of its installations.
It explained that the presence of National Security personnel was part of measures to protect critical aviation infrastructure and prevent an intended act of sabotage that could have endangered lives and aircraft operations.
The Authority, therefore, urged the public not to interpret the security measures as intimidation, harassment or victimisation of GhATSEA members.
Rather, it said, the measures were necessary to safeguard the country’s aviation infrastructure and ensure the uninterrupted provision of critical air navigation services.
The GCAA said its management and Rev. Auther should be commended for taking steps to protect the country’s airspace and aviation infrastructure.
It stressed that all actions taken were within its statutory mandate to ensure the safety, security and orderly operation of Ghana’s civil aviation system.
“The GCAA respects employees’ legitimate rights to organise and raise workplace concerns through lawful and recognised mechanisms and remains committed to constructive dialogue and the resolution of grievances through the appropriate channels,” the statement said.
The Authority assured the travelling public that it would continue to take all necessary and lawful measures to protect Ghana’s airspace and aviation infrastructure.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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