President Mahama says government will revamp Ghana Railways Company

President Mahama says government will revamp Ghana Railways Company Takoradi, Oct. 20, GNA

President John Dramani Mahama on Friday announced that government would revamp the country’s rail transport to reduce the burden on road transport which has manifested in traffic congestion.

Apart from that, he said the revamping of the railways would also facilitate the haulage of minerals, food and cash crops from the farming communities to marketing centres.

President Mahama announced this when he addressed Railway Workers Union in Takoradi as part of his five-day campaign tour of the Region.

During his stay in the Region, President Mahama would address rallies, inaugurate completed development projects, cut sod for the commencement of others and interact with chiefs and party supporters in the region.

President Mahama regretted that railway workers were some of the least paid government workers and promised that as soon as conditions were improved, their remunerations would also be increased to commensurate their performance in the country.

He said government had also awarded the Takoradi-Kojokrom railways on contract and was burnt on working on all the dilapidated and abandoned ones to recreate more jobs for workers and facilitate the movement of minerals and commodities to marketing locations.

Mr. Godwill Ntarmah, Secretary General of Ghana Railway Workers Union, lamented that the highest paid worker at Ghana railways was taking about GHC 700 as salary and called on government to help to place them on the Single Spine Salary Structure.

The general secretary also called for the review of their collective bargaining agreement to enable them to make the necessary salary negotiation for their workers.

He appealed to government to reverse the trend of delaying their salaries which had over the years plagued the company.