About 50 CAGD Workers ‘Denied Entry’ to Offices for Lateness

It appears various public sector agencies are taking stringent measures to tackle employees’ poor attitude to work.

Just a day after the Metro Mass Transit sent about 50 workers home for reporting late to work, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, today [Thursday], carried out a similar action, denying employees entry to the Department’s main gates for over an hour, after they reported to work late.

The affected workers, numbering about 50 stood outside for over an hour and were only allowed access into their offices after their details were taken.

The workers told Citi News this was happening for the first time.

50 Metro Mass workers sent home

A similar incident occurred on Tuesday at the head office of the Metro Mass Transit Services in Accra, when the Board Chairman paid an unannounced visit and discovered most workers were coming in late.

Corporate Communications Manager of Metro Mass Transit, George Krobea Asante, told Citi News that the management of the company will meet to determine what further sanctions will be meted out to the affected workers.

“In his [Ahmed Arthur’s] wisdom, he asked them to go back to their houses for a decision to be taken later by management.

“Whatever decision that management has to take will be in line with what is provided within the collective bargaining agreement of the workers.”

Mr. Krobea Asante stressed that punctuality was a basic tenet of the transport industry hence the need for discipline.

Other actions against lateness

Railways Development Minister, Joe Ghartey, in January 2018 also cracked the whip on staff with a penchant for lateness to work when he sent home 14 of them who reported to work late.

The affected staff comprised nine permanent staff and five national service personnel.

Mr. Ghartey’s actions were to improve the levels of discipline within his outfit.

However, the Minister did not take any further action against the workers, and reports indicated that their attitude changed for the better.

“It was a wake-up call, and I will monitor their response which I believe will be positive… I have to put on record that the staff have worked very hard last year [2017], but I am just asking them to work harder,” he said.

Showmanship or real action?

Not many are impressed with these actions which are largely considered to be acts of showmanship by top officials, who should rather be focusing on instituting an improved systems to ensure that the discipline of punctuality becomes a part of people, and that people get punished for flouting the rules.

Source: Citinewsroom