The National Tipper Truck Drivers Association has today, Monday, September 21, 2020, declared a strike over the government’s inability to address the issue of the cost of quarry stones.
The group with a membership of over 3, 000 held a press conference last week to plead with the government to look into their concerns.
Tipper trucks loaded with stones on the main Kasoa road have been stopped from operating as part of the strike.
The Chairman of the association, Kadri Inusah, in a Citi News interview said, members of the association will advise themselves on December 7 should the government fail to address the issue.
“The reason for this demonstration is we want the government to come in, so we sit down over our concerns and problems with the Chinese quarry. The cost of stones and dust is very high. We do not engage in company work, we buy from them and sell to individuals. We have been complaining about the price but nothing is being done about it.”
Some of the drivers also said say the cost of quarry materials produced by Chinese companies has increased astronomically thereby affecting their finances.
They are therefore seeking the intervention of the President and the Transport Minister in order to save their operations.
“What we are doing is in the interest of all drivers. We will stop all tipper drivers who have decided to disobey our directive by ceasing their cars. We are all fighting for the betterment of us all so if someone disobeys us we will cease their truck.”
“We are the nation’s builders and even when they were building the jubilee house we contributed as Tipper drivers. We want the Minerals Commission and the government to intervene. If the government fails to intervene after the one-week period we will still continue,” one of the drivers stated.
Another one said: “We can see the government doesn’t care about us. We are Ghanaians but the Chinese people are creating a lot of problems for us. The Chinese have increased their products and it is becoming difficult for us the work as tipper truck drivers.”
“These things are happening especially at Bosomabena. And when we complain as tipper drivers, the Chinese people threaten us with guns. The people are sabotaging the NPP government so the government must talk to his representatives to come and resolve these issues.”
Source: citinewsroom.com
