Commercial drivers to lay down tools on December 1
Issues regarding the plight of commercial transport operators have still not been addressed by the government as the Private Transport Operators are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to have their issues addressed issuing a new date Wednesday, December 1 for their planned industrial action.
The union explained that they arrived at such a decision following an emergency meeting with the government on November 25, 2021, where they assured them of a reduction in prices in the next pricing window on 30th November 2021.
Leaders of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) told its members earlier this week to wear red armbands to draw the government’s attention to its intended strike action due to the constant increment of fuel prices in the country.
General Secretary of the GPRTU, Godfred Abulbire Adogma in addressing the press disclosed that they will embark on the strike if the announced prices of fuel in the next pricing window by the National Petroleum Authority show otherwise.
“The issue of reducing the tax is just to get the end result of getting fuel prices to come down and, as a result, the report we received from the Minister is that, from Thursday, the price window will be announced by the NPA and prices of fuel will come down. That is the assurance. So at the tail end of this discussion, the house has concluded that we move the strike from Monday to Wednesday so that we will all observe the pricing window on Tuesday.”
The Commercial Drivers Association have called on the government to remove some taxes that will amount to a GH¢1.50 reduction on the price of fuel per litre.
All commercial drivers in the country on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, put on red armbands as a signal to alert the government of their intended strike.
They have also announced that they will have no option other than to increase their fares if nothing is done about the situation.
They complained that all efforts to use the laid down processes to get their grievances about the rising cost of fuel across have not yielded any positive result.
The price of fuel in the country has been significantly upwardly adjusted over the past six months, with many drivers lamenting about the situation.
Already, the Ashanti Regional Branch of GPRTU, and 15 other drivers’ unions, are expected to embark on the strike if the government fails to address their concerns in the coming days.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
