Dozens of aggrieved Zoomlion workers on Thursday besieged the premises of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to demand the payment of salary arrears owed them for over a year and five months.

The workers, who say they are struggling to make ends meet due to the prolonged delay in payments, met with the Chief Executive Officer of YEA, Malik Basintale, in a bid to seek redress and push for government intervention.

During the meeting, Mr. Basintale expressed appreciation for the peaceful manner in which the workers presented their concerns and assured them of his commitment to resolving the issue.

“I will do everything within my power to ensure that your arrears are paid in the coming days,” he said, adding that the current outstanding salaries were inherited from the previous administration.

He further noted that steps were being taken to engage the Finance Ministry to release the necessary funds to settle the debt.

The protest echoes previous demonstrations by Zoomlion workers who have repeatedly raised concerns over poor working conditions and unpaid wages.

Addressing the issue of workers’ remuneration, Mr. Basintale reiterated his stance against endorsing the new contract rate of GHC 258 per month, insisting that the amount is insufficient to sustain the workers’ basic livelihood.

He emphasised that the current government, under the leadership of President John Mahama, is committed to improving the living standards of all workers and will work to ensure that such situations do not persist.