Workers of the Ghana Railways Company Limited (GRCL) have served notice to government, threatening to withdraw their services by September 12, 2016 if their pleas are not heeded to.
Their threat follows the failure of the Ministry of Finance since the beginning of this year, to release the monthly financial support to GRCL to enable the company pay workers’ salaries and carry out its operational functions.
A letter of notice signed by the General Secretary of the Ghana Railway Workers Union (GRWU), Mr. Godwill Ntarmah, and addressed to the Chief of Staff, noted that the delay in the release of funds had not only affected payment of salaries but also “payment of SSNIT contributions, Tier Two pension contributions, union dues and other operational issues”
The New Crusading GUIDE is informed that an arrangement between government and GRCL requires the government to support the company with about GH¢900,000 every month to enable it carry out its activities.
Unfortunately, government has not been able to fulfill this obligation since January 2016, compelling the company to use its meager resources to carry out its operations and pay workers salaries up to June 2016.
As a result, GRCL this paper learnt, has run out of cash and had not been able to pay workers’ salaries for July and August.
The notice dated August 30, 2016 stressed that until the monies are released, workers would go on indefinite strike, starting September 12.
GRWU is accusing the Ministry of Finance of being “insensitive to the plight of Railway Workers”, adding that “the workers can no longer be taken for a ride”
“We have been very cooperative with the government and we think the situation cannot be the same forever while our workers continue to suffer”, the letter read in part.
Meanwhile, red flags are being hoisted in all GRWU offices and passenger trains in Accra to prompt government about the intended strike.
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