Aggrieved Railway workers seek meeting with President over company’s future – Skyy Power FM

Workers at the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL), are aggrieved over numerous challenges plaguing the company for years with no solution.

The General Secretary of the GRCL Mr Godwill Ntarmah at a press conference in Takoradi on Tuesday, August 22, said the company with over one thousand workers, is facing challenges operating on the existing Narrow gauge rail line which is in a bad state coupled with the old and aged rolling stock resulting in series of derailments now and then.

He said this has resulted in financial constraints which easily qualify the company as a Highly indebted Poor Company (HIPC).

He said, “As we speak, salaries go into three (3) or four (4) months’ arrears before some efforts are made to effect some payments. Again, SSNIT payments are in arrears from October 2022 till date which has compelled SSINT to take GRCL to court to enforce payments The company is owing GCB Bank millions of cedis while workers’ Tier 2 payments have also not been settled since May 2022 till date.”

“Workers’ own deductions to their various credit Unions such as GPHA credit union and RUCOMAS have not been paid since September 2021.”

“Another issue of great concern to us is the determination of the fate of the GRCL Retrenched staff of 2006 which needs to be addressed by the Government.”

Mr Ntarmah said it is the expectation of workers that since the company is a state-owned one, they would have thought that some government support from the state, would have been extended to the company as it was the practice in the past, but all that they hear is, the company is a limited liability company and therefore should be able to work and generate enough to fund itself.

He added, “The truth of the matter is that with the challenges enumerated earlier, it is impossible for the company to generate enough funds to sustain itself and to operate as a going concern.”

“It will interest you to note that frantic efforts have been made by the leadership of the Union to have engagements with the President of the Republic His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Adoo to have interactions on the current situation facing GRCL but all have proven futile.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, we have no option now than to engage you and use your medium to appeal to His Excellency the President of the Republic for an engagement with us to save the GRCL from total collapse.”

“We are frustrated and disillusioned and we believe through your medium the President will hear us and give us the needed audience,” he added.