Gampetroleum Staff Hopeful as New Boss Takes Promising Steps

By: Fabakary B. Ceesay

Barely five months after taking over the General Management responsibilities of Gampetroleum, Mr. Yorro Jallow had a series of meetings with all section Managers, senior staffs and staff welfare committee to abreast himself with issues of concern to their working conditions and matters relating to their welfare.

This action has put smiles and hopes on the faces of many staff hence their dilemma of low basic salaries, risk allowance, medical insurance, house allowance, travel and leave allowances including loans for low income earning staffs are being given due consideration.

According to a source within the camp, GM Jallow sounded very positive and adamant about giving priority to the demands of the workers.

Sources hinted that GM Jallow’s first steps were to organise a series of weekly meetings with the Finance, Human Resources, acting Operation Managers and the Internal Auditor, security, staff welfare committee and all the sections of the company.

Gampetroleum fleet of luxury vehicles

A staff welfare manual is being developed which includes almost all the demands of the staff and there will also be a vehicle allocation policy for managers and other staff.

Gampetroleum is one of the companies that had fleets of luxurious official vehicles worth more than Four Million Dalasis (D4, 000,000). All their vehicles are allocated with free maintenance costs including monthly fuel coupons of D20, 000. Their fuel coupons and vehicle maintenance outweighs basic salaries of several staff of the company.

An angry staff said, “At Gampetroleum most managers changes expensive vehicles like a dress”.

Gampetroleum vehicles

But as to the new vehicle allocation policy developed under the guidance of Mr. Jallow, vehicle holders will be responsible for their own maintenance cost, only fuel coupons will be given by the company.

At the end of every year, companies like Gampetroleum share interests among the staff, but the way and manner this “bonus” as they call it is shared is seen by staff as fraudulent and does not impress the new boss either. Mr. Jallow wants a fair share of the bonus among the staff.

In previous years as found out by Trumpet, less than six managers shared among themselves fifty percent of the bonus. Each of the managers goes home with a million Dalasi. The other fifty percent shared among the low ranking hard and risk working staff goes home with D20, 000 to D25, 000.

After uncovering the huge fraud gap in both bonus sharing and salaries of staff, GM Jallow vowed to put measures in place that will benefit all staff regardless of position or status.

Trumpet also found out that at Gampetroleum staff working at the same department on the same level receives more payment than each other. It seems like fat salaries are based on how you got appointed and by who.

Nepotism seems to be an open gate either through appointments or to serve as an errand “boy” for one of the managers.

One staff member said, “As of now we have hope on Mr. Jallow but he should be careful with the staff that surround him before they will lure him into corruption like all his predecessors”.

Another said, “Most of them were brought by former Manager Saihou Drammeh and they are still his loyalists and would do everything under their powers not to lose the status and privilege they were enjoying before”.

Several requests were made through the offices of the Human Resources, Finance and the General Manager for an interview with Trumpet but to no avail.

 

 

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