Sacked Electrochem employees protest over unpaid salaries, severance package

More than 200 sacked employees of Electrochem Ghana Limited, the company operating the 41,000-acre Songhor salt concession in Ada in the Greater Accra Region, have been demonstrating in the last three days, demanding the payment of their unpaid salaries and severance package.

The staff say many of their colleagues across various departments have received the letter of dismissal.

Enoch Tettey Teye, the Secretary of the Electrochem chapter of the Ghana Mineworkers Union, confirmed the termination of the appointments.

“We are demanding monies due us. Chief among them is our severance package. Electrochem has declared its intention not to work with us again. We should all go home. Whether they are closing down the company or not, we don’t care,” he said.

“We have a collective agreement with them, and they cannot pretend they are not aware. We are taking our severance and all other monies due us before we leave here. This is the short message we have for them. Until they settle our money, we’ll be here today, we’ll be here tomorrow, and we’ll continue to be here until our last pesewa is received.”

In a letter dated August 14, 2025, and signed by the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kwaku Ampromfi, the company said the decision was in line with the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), and the employment contracts of the affected staff.

“You will receive salary due to you up to your last day of work; payment in lieu of any accrued but unused leave days; and one (1) month’s salary in lieu of notice,” the letter stated.

The letter directed workers to return all company property, including identity cards, tools, documents, and equipment, before their final day of work on August 15, 2025.

Some affected workers who spoke to The Fourth Estate said they were not informed of the reasons for the termination.

“We don’t know why they are sacking us,” one of the former employees said. Others believe that it might be linked to a recent protest by workers over several months of unpaid salaries.

He added that the only staff who had not received dismissal letters were the company’s managers.

The chairman of the workers’ union, George Otoo, alleged that the company’s owner, Daniel McKorley, popularly known as McDan, was opposed to union activities.

“The man doesn’t want to hear anything about the union. He wants it in a way that if he is sacking you today, he will sack you. But in Ghana, there are laws, so we, the union, insist on using the laid-down procedures. He wants everything done his way; that is why he has sacked everyone,” Mr. Otoo said.

He added that while the workers had no interest in holding on to their jobs, they expected their outstanding salaries and benefits to be paid.

“We don’t have any issues; he should pay us. Because for me, for instance, he owes me two months’ salary, among other benefits. We want those things settled, then we can leave,” he explained.

Multiple attempts to obtain a response from the company proved unsuccessful. Calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages to the Chief Executive Officer of Electrochem Ghana went unanswered.

This development adds to a series of grievances previously raised by workers of Electrochem Ghana.

In a 2024 series of investigations by The Fourth Estate, employees accused management of intimidation and poor conditions of service.

“If you talk, they will sack you. They treat us as if we don’t have rights. Even our salaries are delayed for so long, and when you ask, they say you can go if you are not happy,” one worker told The Fourth Estate.

Community leaders also expressed disappointment in the company’s handling of the Songor Lagoon lease.

“We’ve been deceived. The promises they made to us are not what we are seeing,” Naana Korleki Korley I, Queen Mother of the Terkpebiawe Clan and custodian of the Songor Lagoon, said. She had previously supported the deal.

“Our people are suffering,” she said.

Electrochem Ghana is owned by businessman Daniel McKorley. Widely known as McDan, his company was awarded a lease to operate West Africa’s largest salt deposit in Ada in 2020.

The company promised to create jobs and improve livelihoods in the Ada area, but its operations have since been marred by controversies, including clashes with artisanal miners and protests from community members, leading to deaths.

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