The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Government of Ghana to take immediate steps to settle twelve months of outstanding salary arrears owed to workers of the Ghana Railways Company Limited (GRCL).
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the TUC, together with the Railways Workers Union of Ghana, described the situation as “dire and inhumane,” stressing that employees and their families have been left to endure severe hardship without pay for a full calendar year.
“It has been twelve solid months since the workers of the company were paid. Just imagine the situation of a worker and their family in today’s Ghana without a salary for 12 months,” the TUC lamented.
The union noted that while the Ghana Railways Company is struggling due to deteriorating infrastructure and a collapse in its haulage business, government’s decision to withdraw support from the company has worsened the crisis.
“The withdrawal of Government support is strange to us because the TUC considers the railway sector as critical for national development. We have continued to urge government to prioritise investment in the sector. For those who have travelled abroad, just imagine cities like London or New York functioning without railways—they would grind to a halt,” the TUC stressed.
While reiterating the urgent need for strategic investment to revive the sector, the TUC emphasized that the immediate priority must be the payment of salaries to ensure the survival of workers and their families.
“Life has become difficult and impossible for the workers. We are demanding that Government act decisively and urgently to get the workers paid,” the union declared.
The TUC assured workers that it would continue to engage government at the highest levels until their demands are met.
Story by Eugene Kwasi Nyarko
