Railway workers across Ghana have declared an indefinite sit-down strike, bringing operations of the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) to a standstill.
The strike, led by the Railway Workers’ Union, is in protest over seven months of unpaid salaries and worsening working conditions.
The industrial action, announced on Monday, is set to officially begin on Tuesday, May 13. Workers in Accra gathered wearing red attire and holding placards with messages such as “We have not been paid for seven months,” “We have not had increment for three years,” “Where is our salaries,” and “Railway Sector needs investment now.”
Speaking to reporters, Franklin Cobbinah, General Secretary of the Accra branch of the Railway Workers Union, said: “For seven months, we have not been paid, and we have not heard anything tangible from our management. So we are giving them till the close of today.”
“If we do not hear from them, we will advise ourselves. The workers will be coming to work, but nobody will be touching anything. The morning train that runs from Tema to Accra—we will stop that train. Not just in Accra. In Tarkwa, we will do the same. In Tema, Takoradi, Kumasi—they will all do what we are doing here,” he added.
Cobbinah also highlighted the hardship faced by the nearly 1,000 affected workers: “We are about 967 workers, and not one has been paid for seven months. Just imagine: if you have a wife and even one child, look at the utility bills—we can’t afford it. We want the management to come and tell us why we have not been paid.”
The strike is expected to affect rail services nationwide, with the union demanding immediate intervention from management and government.
