After more than two hours of a crucial meeting with the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Tanker Drivers have suspended their industrial action.
While work to fix the road gets underway, the union is anticipated to start up again tomorrow, Friday.
Due to worries about the inadequate road system surrounding their loading ports, the union declared a sit-down strike on Monday.
Sunday Alabi, the vice chairman of the union, stated that following their discussion with the minister, the union resolved to call off their strike at midnight on June 29, 2023, provided that the contractor guarantees an improvement in riding quality within three weeks.
“The access road to the depots in Kumasi, Takoradi and Bupe are to be improved as works on the roads will commence from tomorrow and a seven-member committee is formed. The ministry will give us three people and four will be from the union to monitor the progress of works on the roads.”
Mr. Amoako-Attah emphasized that a joint committee made up of representatives from the ministry and union will be set up right away to address their issues.
He told them that he or his deputy would visit once a week to check on the status of the roadwork, adding that, “I will be coming here once every week. If I am unable to make it, my deputy will be here. So please do the work as required of you.”
“The country belongs to all of us. There is a problem, and it must be resolved. So we need to be patient and address it the right way. So let us work together.”
Additionally, in order to avert the impending national crisis, the Minority in Parliament has urged government to change its customary apathy and show commitment to addressing the legitimate concerns of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union with immediate effect.
“Information reaching us indicates that the strike action is already having a negative impact on petroleum supplies with reported shortages of LPG and other products in some parts of the country,” the caucus in a statement signed and issued by the Ranking Member, Mines and Energy Committee, John Abdulai Jinapo indicated.
