PBC Workers Say Salary Arrears Have Reached 27 Months

Employees say prolonged salary delays, operational challenges and uncertainty over a subsidiary have deepened concerns about the future of the cocoa-buying company.

KUMASI, Ghana — Workers of PBC Limited have renewed calls on President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the affairs of the struggling cocoa-buying company, claiming some employees have gone 27 months without salaries while some casual workers have reportedly not received allowances for more than three years. The appeal was made by the PBC Professional and Managerial Staff Union during a press conference in Kumasi, where workers accused successive management and government authorities of failing to resolve a crisis they say has left employees and their families under severe financial pressure.

The union said workers had expected conditions to improve following assurances made by then-presidential candidate John Mahama during the 2024 election campaign and subsequent commitments to reposition the company within Ghana’s cocoa purchasing industry. However, nearly two years into the administration, union leaders say those expectations have not been realised.

Workers Describe Growing Hardship

Osbert Baffoe Ansah, Chairman of the PBC Professional and Managerial Staff Union, said workers were struggling to meet basic household expenses because of prolonged salary arrears. According to the union, some employees have gone 27 months without salary payments, while unresolved deductions remain outstanding in several cases. Casual workers, the union said, have experienced delays in allowance payments exceeding 36 months.

Union representatives said the situation was affecting workers’ ability to pay school fees, transport costs, healthcare expenses and other basic family obligations. The workers further alleged that some employees were earning salaries that had not kept pace with living costs and that salary increments had effectively stalled for more than a decade.

Concerns Over Operations

Beyond salary arrears, the union expressed concern about what it described as chronic underfunding of operations. According to the workers, limited operational funding has disrupted normal business activities, affected planning and created uncertainty regarding job security and the company’s future direction. The union argued that the financial constraints were weakening PBC’s competitiveness in Ghana’s cocoa purchasing market at a time when the sector faces significant challenges.

Dispute Over Buipe Shea Processing Factory

Workers also raised concerns about the government’s takeover of the Buipe Shea Processing Factory, a wholly owned subsidiary of PBC Limited.

While the union said it was not opposed to state intervention, it questioned what it described as a situation in which the facility had been taken over while debt obligations associated with it remained with PBC. The workers called on the government either to return the facility to the company or assume responsibility for the related debt burden.

Long-Running Dispute

The latest appeal is not the first public protest by PBC employees. In August 2024, workers demonstrated in Accra over what they then said were 12 months of unpaid salary arrears. During that protest, employees called for investigations into the company’s finances and appealed for government intervention.

The progression from claims of 12 months of unpaid salaries in 2024 to 27 months in 2026 highlights the extent of the dispute and suggests that workers believe the situation has worsened rather than improved.

Strategic Importance

PBC, formerly Produce Buying Company, has long been one of Ghana’s most recognised licensed cocoa buying companies and has historically played a significant role in the country’s cocoa value chain.

The company’s difficulties come at a sensitive time for Ghana’s cocoa sector, which remains a major source of export earnings, rural employment and foreign exchange revenue.

Industry observers note that the health of institutions operating within the cocoa supply chain has broader implications for farming communities, cocoa purchasing operations and the wider economy.

Awaiting Official Response

At the time of publication, no response from PBC Limited management, COCOBOD, the Ministry of Finance or the Presidency was included in the reports reviewed by Nukunya.

Nukunya has not independently verified the union’s claims regarding salary arrears, allowance payments or operational funding.

The workers have urged President Mahama to intervene directly, warning that continued delays could deepen hardship among employees and further weaken confidence in the future of the company.