Frank Timis - The consumate business icon
It was all jubilation across Sierra Leone yesterday when news broke out that the Executive Chairman of African Minerals Limited (AML), Frank Timis, has agreed to increase the company’s minimum wage to Le1,051,000 (One million and fifty one thousand Leones) effective January 2012. This amount is close to four hundred percent increment of the initial minimum company wage which was Le300,000 (Three hundred thousand Leones).
Ariogbo Newspaper has learnt from top AML management sources that Mr. Frank Timis has also approved a sixteen percent (16%) salary increase for all national employees effective January 2012.
This increase according to sources is in line with the 2011 Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation. The sources maintained that the AML Executive Chairman, Mr. Timis, has also instructed that future yearly salary adjustments based on the CPI inflation should be introduced. He has also directed all AML contractors to endeavor to adjust the salaries of their national employees accordingly.
Further good news for AML workers is that the increments and backlogs would be paid at the end of this month. More good news according to our sources is national employees training and development is at the forefront of the Company’s objectives; and to achieve this goal, Mr. Timis has approved a budget of $3.5M (Three million, five hundred thousand US dollars) for the establishment of state-of-the-art training centers at Magburaka and Pepel. “These projects when completed will serve as the centers of excellence for the training and development of our national workforce. This initiative will give national employees the opportunities to acquire the necessary skills required to over time occupy senior positions in the country,”said one of the sources.
The source added that it was hoped that the generous packages that have been approved by Frank Timis will serve as a motivation tool to ensure that the Company’s objectives are achieved, adding that AML needs industrial harmony to enable it meet its aspirations.
It was learnt that Mr. Timis has been in the country for the past five days. Sources told this press that it was unusual for the Executive Chairman to spend so many days in Sierra Leone but that Mr. Timis has stayed this long purposely to implement major reforms with regards staff welfare and the Company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).
His arrival in Sierra Leone came in the wake of a strike action that was staged by casual workers of AML. Police and government officials including several Ministers, Paramount Chiefs and other stakeholders had to intervene to quell what was gradually becoming a show down between AML management and the workers.
However, the matter was amicably resolved with the AML management promising to look into their grievances which culminated with the arrival of Mr. Timis.
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