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NLC directs striking Railway Workers to return to work |
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The National Labour Commission has directed striking workers of the Ghana Railway Company Limited to return to work with immediate effect while measures are put in place to resolve their differences. |
After a meeting with the striking workers and the Minister for Ports, Harbours and Railways, Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the NLC also directed the Ghana Railway Company to pay the striking workers all their outstanding salaries.
A directive issued by the NLC and signed by the Deputy Chairperson, Kwesi Danso Acheampong also called on the RWU to constitute the appropriate leadership in accordance with its own constitution to prepare them to dialogue with management.
The NLC called the meeting with RWU following a strike action embarked upon by the workers to press home their demand for a number of things, including a 150% salary adjustment, unpaid salaries and the removal of GRC management.
The directive, however dismissed the issue of the removal of management for lack of jurisdiction, saying that decision lies with the employer hence the issue has been referred to the Minister for Ports, Harbours and Railways.
Railway workers in the country have been on strike for close to a month. The strike has crippled the newly introduced shuttle between Accra and Tema creating some inconvenience for commuters. Business has also been greatly affected as bauxite and manganese in the Western Region cannot be carted to the Takoradi Harbour.
Although there have been several meetings to get them to get back to work, the workers have refused and called for a direct dialogue with the President. At one such meeting with the sector minister, Prof Ameyaw Akumfi told the aggrieved workers that government had sourced for a loan of $90,000 half of which would be used to rehabilitate obsolete equipment and other facilities to get the company running, and that part of the loan would be used to service the backlog of workers' salaries.
He therefore called on the workers to remain calm because the loan would be able to bring the company back to life and consequently enable it to haul greater tonnage of manganese, bauxite and cocoa to generate the needed revenue to bring smiles on their faces.
He told the workers their demands would be thoroughly discussed with the authorities and solutions offered soon, but wondered why the workers were up in arms against the same management which would make the negotiations on their behalf.
He pointed out that, the company was in distress, and owed certain organisations including the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the Internal Revenue Service huge sums of money.
The striking workers have refused to accept the two months' salary arrears which management was ready to pay and insisted on their 150% salary increase.
At a meeting between the workers and the Minister as well as the management of the company, the workers rejected management’s proposal to pay their salary arrears while at once while efforts are made to improve their conditions of service. They said their demand for a salary increase must be met before they would reconsider their decision.
It is against this background the NLC called the meeting to resolve the impasse between the two parties. |
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