Cocoa carriers diverse better

Dear Editor,
I wish to revisit the disturbing report about the wages/income of cocoa carriers, which came up early January this year.
The ‘loading boys’, as some are called in local parlance, had embarked on strike demanding an increase in their loading fee from 0.62Gp to GH¢ 1.00 per bag but their employers insisted 0.82Gp instead.
Their action resulted in bags of cocoa piled up at some collection points, causing the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC) to rely briefly on the labour of prison inmates.
Although the boys returned to work after negotiations, I cannot fathom why young engaged on this field should be paid so low. It appears those in charge of this sector want us to believe that GH¢ 1.00 per a bag of cocoa beans is too much to ask for.
Even if the price per bag reaches GH¢ 1.00, it would imply that a carrier would to have to cart 1000 bags of cocoa beans in order to earn One Thousand Cedis (GH¢ 1000), if my table-top calculation is anything to go by. But considering the current 0.82 Gp rate, they may have to carry more than 1000 bags to earn any substantial amount.
This unfavourable condition, I believe, reflects of the sorry state of our economy and the poor living standards of many Ghanaian workers. It is, indeed, demoralising that a privileged few make themselves richer at the expense of ordinary employees who are paid paltry sums.
Cocoa carriers, diverse better and the government must have a second look at their situation. A bag of cocoa beans could weight about 64kg and carrying such load is no child’s play.

Frank Asare Donkor,
Ejuisu.