Reconsider withdrawing container administrative charges- Afriyie

Tema, Sept. 26, GNA- Mr Kwabena Owusu Afriyie, General Secretary of the Maritime and Dockworkers Union (MDU) has appealed to the Ministry of Ports, Harbours and Railways, to take a second look at its intention to withdraw administrative charges on containers shipped into the country. He explained that income accrued from those charges were used to pay staff of shipping companies, and so if the matter was not handled with care, about 2,000 workers in the various shipping companies, would lose their job.

Mr Afriyie made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the Tema Harbour, at the weekend during a clean-up exercise by members of the union.

The five-hour exercise aimed at tidying up the premises of the headquarters of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) was initiated by the union to herald activities marking this year's celebration of World Maritime Day (WMD), which falls on Friday, October one.

Mr Afriyie commended GPHA for ensuring that there was a big boom in the activities at the ports.

The MDU General Secretary said it was gratifying to note that due to satisfactory activities at the ports, GPHA was experiencing peaceful and harmonious industrial atmosphere.

Alhaji Abdul Rahman Baidoo, Tema District Chairman of MDU commended members for the zeal and enthusiasm with which they undertook the clean-up exercise.

Alhaji Baidoo hoped the celebration would help unite members of the union in their bid to achieve set goals and objectives, in order to raise MDU to greater heights.