[ 2016-09-05 ]

Railway workers to halt all trains on Monday
The Ghana Railway Workers Union has told Citi
Business News it will carry out its intended
strike on Monday September 12, 2016 to drive home
demands for better working conditions and upgrade
in salary.

According to the Union, several appeals to the
Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport and the
National Labour Commission (NLC) have all proved
futile.

Speaking to Citi Business News, the General
Secretary of the Railway Workers Union, Godwill
Ntarmah said that all workers have been directed
to display red bands after which the strike will
commence on Monday.

“So far, we have not heard from any quarter as
to what is being done but we are sticking to our
red bands, we are working normally if by the
weekend we don’t hear anything, then on Monday
the passenger trains will not move,” he said.

He lamented that every effort directed at the
Ministry of Finance to address the grievances of
the workers has yielded no positive outcome.

He disclosed that the workers were urged from
September 1, 2016 to display red bands to catch
the attention of the Ministry of Finance and
Ministry of Transport but no attention has been
granted the union.

“My brother, there is nothing we can do now
apart from getting what we want. We even think we
have gone beyond talking. Railway workers need
their salaries. Schools have just reopened and we
think this is the best time,” he said.

Recounting efforts made in the past to demand
better working conditions and salary upgrade, Mr.
Ntarmah recalled that arrangements were reached in
former John Kufuor’s government to support
salaries of railway workers.

He pointed out that the Ghana Railway Company has
used its own Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to
pay net salaries of workers, leaving essential
contributions such as SSNIT contributions, second
tier pensions, and workers contributions.

“Unfortunately you know the state of the railway
now. We don’t generate enough revenue and so
management is finding it difficult to pay July and
august salary. So we feel that for now we should
push hard and get money from the Ministry of
Finance,” he said.

He stated that letters were dispatched to the
office of the president to alert the Chief of
Staff that the workers will go on strike on Monday
, yet the union received no response.

Source - citibsinessnews.com

... go Back