MMT drivers in Kumasi embark on strike action

Scores of passengers travelling to various destinations across the country, have been stranded at the Metro Mass Transit Terminal at Abrepo Junction in Kumasi, following a strike action by the drivers over what they describe as ‘arbitrary and wrongful’ dismissal of a colleague.

One worker who spoke to the GNA on conditions of anonymity when the GNA visited the scene this morning, said the other reason for the strike action is unpaid allowances to the drivers, left to be outstanding for a long time.

He said apart from the remote cause, the last straw that has broken the camel’s back, has been a derogatory comment one senior officer made about one of the drivers, calling him a ‘ common driver'.

He said the driver registering his displeasure about the comment, led to some altercations between him and the senior officer.

According to him, the senior officer whose name he declined to mention, informed the senior officers association, which took a unilateral decision to dismiss him within two weeks.

The source said though management had held earlier meetings with them to resume work, they are not heeding the advice and have vowed never to return to work on condition that their outstanding allowances are paid and the decision for the dismissal of their colleague, is also revoked.

“We are also calling for the dissolution of the Board of Directors of the MMT, we are waiting for the Minister of Transport and the Ashanti Regional Minister to come down to us before we would talk, they are the only persons we would like to deal with”, he added.

Meanwhile, Mr.Enoch Oduro, the Ashanti Regional Metro Director told the GNA that management has ordered the senior staff association to revoke the dismissal immediately.

The GNA’s visit to the terminal this morning also revealed that some of the teeming passengers sitting on their luggage in the open space at the garage looking desperate, spent last night there.

The fleet of buses, were seen grounded and the usual bustle, as well as the long queues of passengers buying travel tickets, was absent.

Other commercial vehicles were taking advantage of the situation, had come to the terminal to take the passengers to their destinations, while many of the passengers were also seen leaving the scene to find other means of transport.

Grace Asantewaa, one of the passengers travelling to Sunyani told the Ghana News Agency that there were other means of transport that plies her destination but she preferred the MMT due to its safety.

Though the striking workers were calm, with no indications of embarking on mayhem, there was a deployment of police on standby at the terminal, ostensibly to keep law and order in case violence erupted.