Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association declares strike action

The Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union has declared a strike action and directed all drivers not to move their trucks starting Monday, October 19, 2020.

The National Secretariat of the Union has instructed all drivers to report to the various loading gantries at Tema TOR Union Offices, Takoradi, Buipe and Kumasi respectively.

In a statement signed by the various chairmen of the respective zonal areas as well as the National Chairman of the Union, George Nyaunu, the Union stated that the strike action follows months of agitation between the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association and the National Petroleum Authority.

Members of the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association earlier this year protested against the implementation of the new Electronic Cargo Tracking System by the National Petroleum Authority, NPA.

The Electronic Cargo Tracking System and the National Command Centre from the National Petroleum Authority was launched in Accra in January this year to improve the efficiency of NPA in the monitoring of Bulk Roads Vehicles nationwide.

The move is further aimed at eliminating or reducing illicit activities associated with the transportation of petroleum products across the country. The Command Centre is fully with computers, and vehicle tracking devices.

Aside from the new electronic tracking system, the tanker drivers have also been asked to stop parking around the Tema Oil Refinery enclave and relocate to a new 1000 truck capacity tanker yard, built by the NPA, directly opposite the Kpone Landfill Site. But the drivers are also against this directive.

Vice-Chairman of the Tanker Drivers Association, Sunday Alabi, said NPA is not being fair to the drivers. They have vowed to lay down their tools if their issues are not resolved immediately.

“The NPA headquarters has been shut down for their workers to go home. But we decided that, we will sacrifice our life and work for Ghana but still, our efforts are not appreciated. They asked us to go to the parking lot at Kpone, but that place is filthy. They say it is for only the drivers. Now, as their offices are locked because of the President’s directive; we can’t have a meeting with them. So, we will wait until the pandemic is over, and look at the way forward,” he noted.