Petroleum sector workers on strike
The General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has declared a day’s strike today in solidarity with the 27 workers of MODEC who have been dismissed by the company.
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The strike is to be observed by all affiliate unions of the GTPCWU.
MODEC dismissed the workers when they went on strike to back their demand for improved conditions of service.
The mother union has declared its full support for the dismissed workers and asked the management of MODEC to reinstate all the 27 workers unconditionally and with immediate effect.
Unacceptable directives
Briefing the media in Accra yesterday, the General Secretary of the union, Mr Fuseini Iddrisu, also asked the management of MODEC to withdraw what he described as unacceptable directives that had been issued to the remaining workers, one of which was that they should sign bonds to be of good behaviour.
He said a letter containing the directives was issued to the workers on October 4, 2014, saying it would be of interest to note that workers of MODEC started their agitation for realistic salaries and other conditions of service as far back as 2010.
Mr Fuseini noted that the management of MODEC Ghana, Tullow Oil Ghana Limited and the Petroleum Commission appeared very insensitive when events that led to the strike unfolded.
Repercussions
On today’s strike and its repercussions on the sector, he said workers and union members in sensitive units of the petroleum sector, such as the West Africa Gas Pipeline, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), the Tanker Drivers Union, the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Limited, would not work.
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He said fuel would not be lifted from either the bulk distribution companies (DDCs) or from TOR to petrol stations where petroleum products were already in short supply.
The Chairman of the GTPCWU, Mr Samuel Quarshie, said it would be in the interest of the management of MODEC to heed the appeals of the union because the consequences of refusing to do so would be dire for the company.
He said members of the union had the capacity to grind the petroleum sector to a halt if their conditions were not met and expressed the hope that the management of MODEC would see reason to reinstate the dismissed workers and withdraw the unlawful directives.