Workers of state transport company, Metro Mass Transit Ltd., are still agitated over unpaid salary arrears barely two weeks after they called off a few days of sit-down strike following government’s assurance to pay them.
The General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress, which impressed upon the staff to resume work whiles they negotiate the payment, has in a statement expressed its disappointment over the failure of government to fulfill its promise.
Speaking to Citi Business News, the General Secretary of the Union, Alhaji Fuseini Iddrisu, stated that, “As a well-disciplined trades union, we are not interested in allowing our members to take an action that seems to be illegal. We have talked to the Senior Minister, Transport Minister and all indications are that, some monies were made available for them to pay at least the two and a half months salary arrears.”
“Based on these factors, we told our people last week to come back to work. But we had a meeting with the sub-committees of the board of Metro Mass, and it looks as if all those promises given to us are not very clear because they are now telling us that they have many problems especially, with the Ministry of Finance about lock-down issues,” he added.
The Union has among other things asked government to contract Neoplan Ghana to refurbish 200 MMT buses currently out of use.
It also wants government to approve some fuel tax exemptions for the company, and support it with a stimulus package of GHS50 million to cater for employee salaries.
The Union warns that the workers may be forced to resume a full sit-down strike if the arrears are not paid soon.
“There is pressure on our members. This [Tuesday] morning we had to appeal to them to still keep on working as we are still deliberating with our leaders. Let me assure you that, if nothing immediately happens, we will lose control of our members and we can anticipate that the workers will now go on fully with their actions. They will sit down and not work,” he said.
Background
Earlier this month,the agitated workers of the transport company vowed to continue their sit-down strike until their two months’ salary arrears hit their accounts.
