Metro Mass Transit drivers suspend sit-in strike

Drivers of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) in Kumasi have suspended their strike following a two-hour closed door meeting between leaders of the drivers’ union and the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, on Thursday morning.

The meeting appeared to be a very fruitful one as the Ghanaian Times observed that, the drivers had already started working before the meeting ended. 

According to the Industrial Relations Officer of the General Transport and Petroleum Workers Union of the Company, Mr  Paul Kofi Adu, who briefed the media after the meeting, they were at peace now following the Minister’s intervention.

He indicated that, the Minister acknowledged that the group had reasonable issues after they presented their grievances to him but it was agreed that, some of the grievances would take time to be resolved.

Among the grievances were unpaid second tier of their pension scheme, lack of spare parts for the broken buses, unpaid allowances for conductors and over-time allowances for drivers.

The rest included arrears of the distribution of laundry soap for the mechanics as well as milk that is expected to cleanse their heart for the dust they inhale while working.

Mr Adu disclosed that, they also presented a petition to the Minister for the recall of their colleague who they thought was wrongfully dismissed by Managing Director, of the transport Company, Mr Adu Boahen.

Commuters on Wednesday were left stranded following a sit-down strike by the drivers in protest against poor working conditions.

The drivers swore not to work if the Managing Director of the transport company Mr Adu Boahen, was not fired for alleged poor managerial skills and victimisation of staff among other maltreatment which was gradually collapsing the company. 

The Ghanaian Times gathered at the time of visit to the terminal that, Mr Boahen and management were in a crunch meeting and it was observed that, all ticketing booths were closed down with some of the stranded passengers expressing their frustrations over the situation.

However, private transport owners took advantage of the situation as they hurriedly drove to convey some of the passengers to destinations like Obuasi, Bibiani, Cape Coast, Takoradi, Sunyani and others at higher rates compared to that of MMTL.

In spite of this, some passengers who had already budgeted at the cost of MMTL fare waited anxiously hoping the situation would change for the workers to go back to work, “I have done my calculation and budget, now with this situation, I don’t know what to do, I hope the situation changes if not I have to find money elsewhere and take a taxi to another lorry terminal to my destination,” a frustrated passenger told the Ghanaian Times.

FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE AND FAUSTINA KWABEA OSEI, KUMASI