{"id":33439,"date":"2014-07-21T17:45:56","date_gmt":"2014-07-21T17:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=33439"},"modified":"2014-07-21T19:16:26","modified_gmt":"2014-07-21T19:16:26","slug":"railway-workers-call-off-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=33439","title":{"rendered":"Railway workers call off strike"},"content":{"rendered":"

The members of the Railway Workers Union of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) have called off their indefinite strike which began Monday July 21.<\/span><\/p>\n

The decision was arrived at following a meeting with the President, John Mahama on Monday.<\/p>\n

The indefinite strike was to demand better conditions of service and an increment in their salaries.<\/p>\n

The strike which lasted just a day affected commuters who solely relied on their services.<\/p>\n

Deputy Transport Minister, Joyce Bawah-Mogtari confirmed the development on Eyewitness News stating that through the presidential intervention, \u201cwe have reached an understanding with the railway union workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

She disclosed that a proposal has been drafted to increase the current salaries\u00a0of the railway workers adding that<\/span> the union executives together with the management of the Ghana Railway Company have agreed to the proposed salaries.<\/p>\n

According to her, the Ministry was unable to meet all the demands of the workers over the years because the industry \u201chad been in decline for the last 20 years, they are not even operating half the services that they require and they are not making as much money as they require to support their payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Deputy Minister expressed her appreciation to the President for intervening in the matter.<\/p>\n

Long-term measures<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mrs. Bawah<\/span>-Mogtari said the Ministry will consider ways of revamping the activities of the railway sector by \u201cfinding strategic investors to partner government<\/span> to adequately re-modernize and revamp the entire sector.\u201d<\/p>\n

She mentioned that the railway sector offers limited services to Ghanaians and they are therefore unable to maintain the trains and the workers lack the requisite expertise and training to effectively manage the sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we need to do is to find funding to invest in railway infrastructure for the sector to become viable and of course to contribute its quota to the development t of this nation,\u201d said the Deputy Minister.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Bawah<\/span>-Mogtari pointed out that the railway system faces competing interests for financing.<\/p>\n

The railway system is estimated to require an amount of $1.2 million to revamp the Western railway line alone.<\/p>\n

The railway line from Tema Port in the Grater Accra Region to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region will require $500 million.<\/p>\n

Government<\/span>, according to the Deputy Minister is therefore<\/span>, looking to revamp the sector through the Public Private Partnership (PPP).<\/p>\n

She insisted that the government is not \u2018sinking money into a sinking ship or boat for that matter. What we are doing is to try to augment what they are generating presently.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
\nFollow @osamidan<\/a>
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