No worker or member of the management was allowed entry into the work premises with the youth setting up a human blockade in front of the factory, Joy News correspondent Benjamin Tetteh confirmed.
The youth chanted and clamoured for employment and accused the technical director of the company, Emmanuel Adjabo of not employing the youth in the area. They also accused government of reneging on its campaign promise of revamping the company and providing jobs for the youth in the area.
The company was temporarily shut down in 2005 after its majority shareholder Vlisco divested following complaints of high production cost and importation of cheap textile materials.
The company was however resuscitated in 2007, but was operating a low capacity work force of 300, instead of 1200 as originally planned. After several hours of demonstrations the youth were calmed by the Volta regional Minister Mr. Joseph Amenowode, the District Chief Executive of the area and the police.
The two political appointees have had separate meetings with management of the company, and have later called a meeting with the leaders of the demonstrations. But the technical director has denied the allegations against him.
Emmanuel Adjabo said the factory is operating below 30 per cent of capacity, insisting about 90 per cent of the existing employees are all from the area. “I don’t know where they are coming from that I am not employing them. We have been employing our old staff, most of them come from the area. “…This is the capacity that we are running now, we don’t have room for additional people until the factory grows from this stage.
“…We cannot continue taking people just because there is unemployment in the area,” he said.
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Angry Youth Take Over Textile Factory